Black Resolution
by Hikari no Arcobaleno
Summary: When eternal sorrow exists, you can only trust yourself. Tsuna's an emotionless hitman for Byakuran and he fights for his freedom. When he meets a certain blond, he finds a home to return to. But now, he has to choose: family or happiness? AU. G27.
1. 1: Blank, White, and Orange

This is my first fic. Go easy on me. There are no OCs, just side characters from KHR.

Warning: Dark, angst characters. OoC!Tsuna. Yaoi (G27 and other pairings).

Rated: T, may go up in future chapters.

Don't like, don't read!

Click the back button now if you don't want to continue.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Beta: xXxAnGeLFLoNnExXx

"Italian."

"_Japanese._"

_Thoughts._

"_**Highlights.**_"

* * *

><p><strong>Black Resolution<strong>

**Target 1: Blank, White, and Orange**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Blank.<strong>_

During a cold, lonely night in Italy, a figure was standing on the top of the building. His face was covered with a hood except for his eyes. Said blank eyes roamed the vicinity until he finally found his target. He was walking inconspicuously in an alleyway, alone and no one around to witness anything. _Perfect._ He grinned as he readied himself for the right timing.

He lunged at the man with a poisoned dagger in hand. The assassin planned to make his death a quick one, as to proceed to his next mission. _I don't wanna waste my time anymore. Just give up already and die for me. _He sighed in exasperation. When he swiped, the man dodged. _Damn, and I already blew my cover, too. That was definitely not a smart move on my part._

He ran off as soon as he saw the person who was sent to take him out. He moved stealthily but quickly behind the rundown buildings. Sweat was running down his face, and fear was slowly creeping into his systems. How did he find him so fas— shit.

He felt a hand ghosted over his left shoulder. His eyes widened and he sprinted away immediately before the said hand could grab him. The person gave a 'tch'-ed but smirked at the thrill of the chase.

For it was the prey's resistance, that made it very exciting to him. Adrenaline at its peak, he quietly followed the man— wait, where was his target? He looked at the direction where the man ran off to. He was gone. The attacker sighed and walked around, trying to feel the other's presence. _You can run but you can't hide, prey. I can still detect the stink of your fright._

The man panted and groaned as he slumped into the wall beside him. He sighed in relief. _Phew, that should be __the last of him for a while— _A click was heard. He bit his tongue from shouting out loud. He slowly turned to his side, only to see his attacker grinning wickedly at him, his gun's safety released. _See? What's the point of running when you can't conceal yourself properly? You're just making it more thrilling for me._

"Dendro Chilum, 38 years old. Known as the strongest lancer in the Millefiore Famiglia. A member of the 5th squad, Black spell. Has a wild boar for a box weapon. Signature move is the Triple Lance. Offense to the Millefiore, killed one of its trusted informants and sold secrets to a rival Famiglia." He gulped when all the information about him was spilled. The figure lost his grin, but there was a hint of merciless sadism in his eyes. He couldn't see his face very well since it was covered by a hood, except for the eyes.

He brought out two long katanas out of nowhere and stabbed both of the man's thighs, as to prevent him from escaping. The man howled in pain. He smirked, but it was devoid of any emotion. Simply—

—empty.

"No, please don't—! Don't do it…!" He cried as his assailant bore his eyes unto his soul. His assailant lifted his gun, aimed it straight at his target's head.

"Your assistance is no longer needed, especially when you betrayed **_him_**." Dendro shook in utter fright.

"Please, no—!" He flailed his arms before—

A gunshot was heard.

Dendro fell slowly to the ground. The last thing he saw was the assassin removing his hood to let him see his face.

—an indifferent expression and blank, dull eyes.

The figure gently shook his head and closed his eyes in silence, and somehow, regret.

_**I simply want nothing more than the strength to break free from these chains.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>White.<strong>_

The assassin hurriedly went to his employer's office. It was time to bring in his report. He knocked politely. _Finally it was over—_

A teenager about his age with orange-like red hair opened the door. It was his employer's most trusted subordinate: only next to him though. _What was his name again? Irie something-something…_

"I assume you have disposed of the target?" He asked, but the assassin could clearly see his nervousness. He nodded nonetheless. _He seems too good to be _his_ right-hand. _The teen fidgeted under his gaze and he narrowed his eyes.

Irie gulped. He noticed the blank eyes directed at him, as if reading his whole being. He stepped aside to let him enter. "Then, please come inside. Byakuran-san is waiting." He paused. "Japanese, I presume?" Meanwhile, the Japanese boy was shaking slightly. _Byakuran-san's helper is too observant and at the same time, too oblivious. Didn't Byakuran-san told him before that I was of Japanese descent?_ He paused in his thoughts. _Though knowing him, he probably didn't. Maybe. But since it's the advisor and second-in-command, it must be because of his forgetfulness._

The assassin coughed slightly to get the other's attention. "I said, are you Japanese?" The right-hand unconsciously flinched at the cold, harsh tone. "Y-Yes." He tried to hold back a stutter. _This person is really dangerous…! _He thought to himself.

He did not even bat an eyelash about the fearful glance, and his eyes showed a little glimmer. _It's not my fault my voice sounds cold…_ _right? Geez, I should really stop scaring people unnecessarily. It's such a bother. _He inaudibly sighed. His eyes reverted back to his old dull ones. He closed the door on the frozen-on-the-spot right-hand. Irie blinked dumbly when he heard a click. Wow, he didn't even notice it.

As he walked into the room, he observed the changes in decoration. For some reason, there were countless lotus flowers in the room. _Is this another one of his weird fetishes?_

A white-haired man grinned at him as he neared towards the said person. "Ah, you're finally back. Of course, as promised, the money has been transferred to your bank account and—" The man was suddenly in front of him. "—you are to do one _last_ mission before you achieve your freedom." Byakuran gave him a sly smile, but he didn't pay any attention to it. What matters is that he can finally grasp the liberty he so badly wants.

The assassin's eyes gained a little light immediately. He gently removed his hood and bowed his head. "It has been a pleasure working with you, Primofiore**(1)**."

"No, no. On the contrary, I should be thankful to you—" He was about to say the other's name, but he received a glare.

His grin widened. "Oops, I meant… Cielo." He handed him a file. The assassin skimmed through it.

**Target: Kazuya Mochida, or Mochida Kazuya in Japan.** _Another Japanese? Hm..._ His mind wandered to that Irie boy he met. _Suspicious, very suspicious._

**Age: 18.** Cielo tapped his chin in thought. A year older than him, huh?

**Status: Heir to the Spada Famiglia, a Family who betrayed the Millefiore alliance.** Ah, the typical double-crossing scenarios.

**Offense: Lead the third Spada danza revolution.** _The third sword dance, hm? The incident where a lot of Millefiore's men were killed?_ Cielo's eyes darkened immediately. Byakuran grinned at the sudden change. It seems that his favorite toy entered his 'assassin mode' again. He has a feeling that he's going to leave without a word.

Cielo put his hood back on and left the room silently, as if a conversation never happened between them. The white-haired man's assumption was correct.

When he was gone, Byakuran chuckled, until the chuckles turned into a laughter of cruel mockery. His eyes narrowed with an evil gleam in it. _You are a big idiot, you know that?_

He let out a small 'pfft'. He snorted. _Did you really think I'm just going to sit down and let my favorite bunny leave? _Byakuran stood up from his chair and looked out his one-way glass window-slash-wall, and stared at the countless people walking down below. _You are too different_—_ no, unique for me to let go._

_One day, you will learn where you belong—_ The white-haired man gingerly picked up a folder from his desk and a picture fell out of it. Nonetheless, he threw it into his fireplace at the side, crouched down, gazing at the picture of a certain person.

_Ah, Cielo is so adorable, having such innocence that I madly want it—_ He grinned again, picked it up, burned it with his own flames. Byakuran gazed amusedly at the flickering fire on his hand.

—_to crumble away beneath my hands._

_**I only desire control for a pure new world, and a new beginning.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Orange.<strong>_

Giotto scanned through the different files compiled messily on his desk. He sighed tiredly and ran a hand over his spiky blond hair. He feels as if he was sucked dry by a vampire. Seriously, no one works as hard as he does._ I mean, who the hell works for three straight days without even a wink of sleep?_ He grumbled under his breath about his Fate and the man who caused all of this. _Damn you, Reborn._

Somewhere, a black-haired man sneezed a little.

He pinched his forehead. He feels a severe headache coming along later. The blond man just wants to retire to his room and sleep the rest of the day off, or maybe take a stroll in the town. His face broke into a happy expression. _That's not a bad idea._

The young boss had a stupid grin on his face as he tiptoed towards the door, when it slammed open.

**BAM!**

"PRIMO, ALAUDE JUST TURNED IN HIS REPOR— …Primo?" He looked around the room, trying to find his boss. His left eye twitched. He ditched his work again? He shook his head as a sly little scheme formed in his mind. Well, it wouldn't hurt to be childish once in a while, right? _Besides, it works everytime._

He pulled out something from his pocket. It was a pack of caramel biscuits. He waved it around as he would to a dog. "Oh, Giotto~! I have something for you!" He purposely called the other by his first name and talked in a sing-song voice. G inwardly shivered at his own act. _Maybe I shouldn't stay near Daemon too much._ He opened the pack and let the smell do its wonders.

True to his words, Giotto came out from behind the door, well… more of he crawled towards G, clutching his face. "That hurts a lot, G…" His right-hand man's eyes widened. "A-Ah, Giotto— err, Primo! I'm really sorry about that and I should have knocked before I came in nonchalantly and—" Said blond blocked out his friend's blabber as he stared intently at the pack of sweet treats on the other's hand. He instinctively licked his lips. _Yum._

"—I should've trusted you more that you wouldn't ditch your work—" Giotto visibly stiffened, and that didn't go unnoticed. G's eyes twitched again. He had deadpan look on his face. "You were planning to, weren't you?" His boss laughed nervously.

"Ahaha… ow." He nursed his nose._ I think it's broken or something. But there are more important matters than my nose. _He stared at the pack of biscuits intensely again. As his right-hand man fished out a first-aid kit_—Where did he get that?_—and treated his swollen nose, Giotto tried to reach out for the pack. Keyword _tried_. G noticed his boss's gestures.

"Primo?" He inquired, but his boss stayed still, so he ignored him. But when his boss pulled on the biscuits,—his right-hand man had one hell of a death grip—his face flared in irritation.

"GIOTTO, STOP ACTING LIKE A KID AND LET ME TREAT YOU FIRST!" His boss pouted mockingly (and childishly).

"But G! The bishwits awe mow impowtansh." He said, but his voice was muffled because he rubbed his face gently. His guardian couldn't take it anymore until…

"THAT'S IT! YOU ARE GOING TO STAY HERE UNTIL ALL THE PAPERS ARE DONE!" He roared in anger. Giotto frowned. "If that's the case, you have to help me then." G snorted. "Yeah, right. You're grounded for the rest of the week! That's means no trips to the candy store, the bakery, and you can't go around town!"

The blond boss had a teary look on his face. "No fair! I wanna get rest and go… it's so boooring…" He clutched to G's leg as a child would. A tick mark appeared on his best friend's face. "Giotto, get. The. Hell. Off." He kicked the other with all his might. Giotto detached himself from the other because of the force.

The Vongola Primo regained his seriousness. "G, what was that about Alaude's report?" G cleared his throat and eyed him warily. _You're not planning anything now, are you?_ He thought to himself. Because of the blond's hyper intuition, he was able to pick up his right-hand man's glance. He raised both of his hands defensively.

"What? Just because I suddenly changed the topic doesn't mean I'm gonna do something sneaky. I can be serious too, you know." G snorted. "Yeah, right. I didn't even say anything. Guilty, aren't 'ya?" Giotto may admit it or not, he did have a tinsy-winsy intent of it. _But of course, that doesn't mean I'm caught red-handed, right?_ Right (cue rolling of eyes here).

"Ehem, as I was about to say, Alaude managed to get an information about some guy named Dendro Chilum." Giotto raised an eyebrow. "So what's it got to do with us?"

"Dendro Chilum is—was a member of the Millefiore Famiglia, the same Family we're gonna meet with at the grand mafia ball a week from now. Apparently, the guy sold out his Famiglia to Millefiore's rival, a former ally of theirs." The Vongola Primo sighed. It was the usual cases of treachery. He rubbed his temples in frustration. Nowadays, loyalty is a hard thing to acquire especially when you're in the mafia.

"And who is this former ally Family of theirs?" He had a bad feeling about this. His stomach had a repulsive, unnatural feeling in it. _If there is any god out there, please, just please stop making my life harder than it __already is._

Unfortunately, there were no gods merciful enough to pity him. After all, gods _don't_ exist in the mafia world.

"The Spada Famiglia, that Mochida-bastard's Family." Giotto had a look of disbelief on his face, and at the same time, an expression that he expected it to happen. _Daaamn_… _if it's that Mochida, then this is gonna be more complicated than I thought it would be._

He clutched his forehead. "Those guys… I already told them to back off from the Millefiore. But being the most ruthless in the Vongola alliance, I wouldn't be so surprised."

G crossed his arms as he 'hmph'-ed in annoyance. "Seriously, Primo. You're the only one who would be considerate enough to think people can change and give them a second chance. You shouldn't forget what Mochida did to you 5 years ago. That incident—"

"—shows how bad they are. I know, I know. The Spada has always been a sly organization. Though I also know that we shouldn't let the past affect our judgement. I maybe stupid to let such an atrocious Family into the alliance but you can't deny the fact that they have been helpful to us. Not only that, it's better to have a good relationship with them." The blond glanced at the window outside.

"With what just happened, I think it's virtually impossible for us to be allies or to have a peace treaty with the Millefiore. I'm sure both sides would not want to have anything to do with each other. The feud that has been going on between them for the past 4 years, you can't deny the facts."

Giotto gave him a determined nod. "And all the more reason we should meet with the Millefiore on the grand ball. Think about it G. If we manage to get on good terms with Byakuran and his men, we can help placate the grudge of the two Families. Therefore, eliminating all possibilities of a mafia war." He closed his eyes solemnly as he waited for a response from his right-hand man.

"You know I can't say no to you once you made your decision. So, are you sure we should continue?"

His boss stood up beside the door. "There's no turning back now. We better go over to the Spada Famiglia, now. Hopefully, they will cooperate in the contract between us and the Millefiore." The red-haired man sighed. "It ain't gonna be easy."

"I know."

His friend crossed his arms again. "Giotto." The said man turned around, his hand on the door's knob. "Yes?"

"Where do you think you're going?" A wary look was shot at him again. The blond laughed nervously. "What ever do you mean by that?" The man gritted his teeth as a threatening aura surrounded his persona. "Your paperwork, Giotto. We still have time before we go to Mochida's place."

Giotto flashed a sheepish grin and exclaimed in a happy voice, "I guess you'll just have to finish it for me. See ya later!" He closed the door hastily with a slam and ran as fast as he can away from his office. The right-hand man blinked before chasing after his boss. A voice boomed through the whole mansion

"DAMMIT GIOTTO! GET BACK HERE AND DO YOUR WORK!" He roared with all his might. When the said blond heard it, his grin widened. _Sorry, no can do. You'll just have to drag me back in there, G!_

_**I wish for power, to protect everyone precious to me.**_

* * *

><p>In this room, there were lavish furniture and admirable paintings. The sunlight gently shone and cool breeze went inside from the balcony.<p>

A woman with brown hair and blue eyes stared at the picture on her hands as she sat on a lush chair. She pursed her lips and glanced towards the big blue sky outside her window. Her hands clenched. "Do you...do you think we'll ever find him, Dino?" She turned to the blond just beside her. His companion looked at her with the same sad eyes because of the sudden question.

"Elena, you and I both know that we'll succeed soon. You shouldn't lose hope because I'm sure Giotto, Daemon, and the others are gonna help us." He placed a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder. "So while we're here, it's better to do what we can than sit around and cry about it all day long."

"It's been ten years since he went missing!" Elena sniffled. "Dino-_nii_—" She started, purposefully calling him in their mother's native tongue. Dino flinched slightly. _Please don't start the waterworks, Ellie. You and I both know I don't know how to handle crying girls!_

"_Imouto_," He said. "It's gonna be fine, I'm sure of it. Even if it takes us forever, we'll search each and every corner of the world and drag him back to our side." He hugged her as to comfort her. When they broke from their embrace, she opened her mouth slightly.

"_Thank you, nii-sama._" She smiled as tears of joy poured down her face. Dino smiled as well and ruffled her hair.

He looked at the crumpled picture in Elena's hand. _We'll find you, otouto. So hang on until we get there, okay?_

_**I seek the inevitable, to reunite my family once more.**_

* * *

><p><em>I guess it is time to contact him again.<em> Cielo closed his eyes as he laid down on his bed.

Once he opened them again, he found himself in a breath-taking scenery. Trees could be seen near and far until the horizon. The sunlight lightly prickled his skin, but not too much. Calming rushes from the banks sounded peacefully. Chirps from lovely birds could be heard everywhere.

"Oya, oya. It's my dear _Usagi-chan_." He purred slightly as he pronounced the other's pet name. "So what did I do to earn a visit from my favorite bunny?"

Cielo completely ignored the other's flirting as if he never said anything. "You know what I came here for, Mukuro. There is no need to ask for pointless questions as such." He sighed. _Can't you take things seriously, even at least once?_

Mukuro chuckled eerily. "Kufufufu, you know how I am." He paused and sat on the ground. He patted the space beside him. "Come, come. It would be rude if I sit on the ground and let my superior stand there all day." The assassin complied.

"So… is it the usual?" The illusionist inquired. Cielo nodded. "Mmhm, but the target is someone of interest and also the last one." The indigo-haired man perked up and showed a real smile. "Oh, really now. And who, may I ask, is our next and final hit?"

"Kazuya Mochida, the bastard from those treacherous snakes." Mukuro tapped his chin in thought. "Ah, the Spada Famiglia, hm? How… expected. What is so fascinating about him anyway?"

Cielo grinned wickedly. "It is not his status nor his Family, but their heirlooms." He fished out a picture from his pocket and handed it over to his companion. "The missing Hell rings."

The illusionist cackled. "Kufufu— kuhahaha! How devious of you, my dear boss." He faced the other with an expression of mirth. "This has got to be one of the best heists we've ever pulled off." He grabbed the other's shoulders. "Count me and the rest of us in. The mission is definitely something big and I won't let you have all the fun, kufufufu." The man disappeared immediately.

"Mukuro, I owe you a lot." He suddenly collapsed on the ground. The man whispered his last words directly at the assassin's ear.

"Anything for you, my lovely Tsunayoshi-_kun_."

_**I dream of having everything, just to grant you your true happiness.**_

* * *

><p>Giotto stared at the intimidating building at the end of the road. He saw the gates from afar, a pair of crossed swords placed across a shield was visible in the middle of it. <em>The Spada's official crest.<em> He inaudibly gulped and fought back a shiver when he saw it. _No matter how much I look at it, it still gives me the creeps._ Out of the blue, his intuition rang alarms in his head. _What was that all about?_ An explosion occurred afterwards and the ground shook from it.

He stuck his head out of the carriage's window. "What's going on out there?" He asked his coachman, also peering at his guardians from his periferal view. Asari and G looked like they were ready to pounce on something.

The coachman gave a shaky reply. "P-Primo, it seems that the S-Spada mansion is under a-attack." He pointed towards the said mansion. The blond's eyes widened before it narrowed as he directed his gaze at the man. "We should make haste. Please, let us hurry to the mansion." He noticed the disturbed expression of the man.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you and the carriage." Said man nodded as he let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Roger that, Primo!" He ordered his two horses to go faster.

As they arrived at the gates, the blond could not shake off the ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach. _What is this presence?_ He asked himself in bewilderment when he picked up a great murderous intent leaking out from one of the rooms on the top floor. He turned to his guardians.

"Let's us hurry before it's too late." They pushed the gate and it corroded with one touch. The group completely ignored this face because of their worry and ran inside the mansion. Two pairs of eyes watched quietly in the shadows.

"Do you think they'll get to the queen, Master?" The younger of the two asked. He slightly tilted his head in pure curiosity. His master gently patted his head. "That's where you're wrong, my student. The real question is, will they survive when they encounter him?"

His student nodded in agreement. "I think… not."

In the end, they never did expect what was greeting them inside.

_**Once you enter the door for which you aspire, you can never go out again.**_

* * *

><p><strong>(1)<strong> Primo (first) + Millefiore (thousand flower) = Primofiore (1st flower). He calls him that since he's the founder and automatically, the first boss.

* * *

><p>So I got help from my beta, ahahaha… thanks for reading this. I'll try to update at least every two weeks. I hope you all like this!<p>

If you noticed, G calls Giotto 'Primo' but sometimes fails at it and slips out his name.

Tsuna is 17. Giotto is 19. Byakuran is 20. Dino is 21. Elena and Mukuro are 18. Giotto's guardians are around 19-21.

**Preview:**

"He's a demon, a monster!"

"I simply want to be free, and you're in the way of achieving it."

"W-Who are you?"

"That's classified."

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"It's none of your concern. Purely business."

"Aren't you horrified with killing people?"

"That doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does."

"No, because my feelings never mattered."


	2. 2: Secrets of the Night

Hurrah! Thanks for all those who supported moi and for my beta too. xD

Sorry for the late update, I've been quite busy this week. Remember, this is RUSHED.

Already asked her to fix the mistakes from last time. I told her before not to change anything besides grammatical error and make it slightly better. Bahaha, I didn't notice I used the word 'said' too much. Meh.

Anyways, I tried to write this myself this time. But still got a little help from my beta-onee-san.

Another thing...I changed the summary because Flonne (my beta) told me I should describe the story more.

"Italian."

"_Japanese._"

"French."

_'Telepathy'_

"_**Highlights.**_"

_"__Flashback.__"_

_Thoughts._

* * *

><p><strong>Black Resolution<strong>

**Target 2: Secrets of the Night**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Fantasy and Reality.<strong>_

Up on a tree were the duo illusionists. They were currently spying on the heir of the Spada, on how he abused both his comrades and employees. _Sickening, truly sickening. _One of them thought.

The young indigo-haired illusionist gave a cruel chuckle and his eyes gleamed in the dark. He was going to have so much fun with their last hit! With his boss's freedom, he can finally attain what he sought for.

_Of course it's much more enjoyable when I heard from Ken that boy's been hitting on my sister._ A pure expression of mischievousness and excitement could be seen on his face as he imagined the torture he would put the poor heir through. _It's not like I would feel guilty, kufufufu._

On his side was his most trusted apprentice, a teal-haired boy wearing a ridiculous apple hat. "Oi, Master. When are we going to get the party started?" His mentor spared him a glance. "Dear Fran, there is no need to rush. Do you not want to make this mission a 100% success?"

Fran frowned inwardly, though his lack of emotions didn't make any difference. "I told you already, my name's Francois. Only Queen can call me that, Master." He got a trident slammed to his head. "Ow, that hurts a lot."

Mukuro gained a tick mark on his forehead. "Who am I to you, little One?" The teal-haired apprentice snorted softly before looking away with a bored face. "The pineapple fairy who kidnapped me— ow, I told you it hurts." His mentor's tick mark grew. He asked once more, with a dark aura around his persona. "Let me ask you again, who am I to you?"

The boy sighed. "My mentor." The pineap— indigo-haired male grinned in approval. "And who are you to me?" Fran held his hands out in a surrender pose. "I'm the unlucky boy who was kidnapped from my grandma by a pineapple fairy pedophile—insert Mukuro's twitch here—and was forced to become said pedophile's student."

His companion held back a counter while his hands twitched like crazy. "Ku… kufufufu, close enough. The point is that I'm your superior and I can call you whatever I like." His student's face scrunched up, as if finding something nasty. "Do remember Master, Queen won't like it if he finds out you're bullying me. I wouldn't even think of what will be the _**consequences**_."

The older teen slightly shivered as amusement could be seen in his apprentice's eyes. "Hmph. You've won this round, but don't expect to win again." He averted his gaze and focused on the teen beyond the window. Suddenly, an explosion occured and the people inside panicked immediately. _That's the signal._ The illusionist kept in mind. As soon as he finished remembering the plan, he heard screams of terror. _Oh? It seems that he's enjoying himself thoroughly. I couldn't blame him, though. This is the last mission, I can't wait for the results._

"Kufufufu, I believe it's time to make a move now." His apprentice nodded. "Understood, Master."

"Did you call Ken, Chikusa, and MM? Especially _**my dear Nagi**_?"

Fran rubbed his nose. "Already did the favor for you 'cause I know you're lazy— ouch."

Another stab to the head was given to him, courtesy of Mukuro. "You better hold back that sharp tongue of yours while we work, kufufufu."

The teal-haired teen nodded. "Told them to take the back entrance, Master."

"Good."

It was then they heard someone approach the grounds. Both caught sight of the spiky hair that one of them had— similar to his boss's hair except for the color. _Oya, oya. I did not expect the Vongola to have arrived so quickly. It seems we were a little behind schedule._

The two exchanged a few words with each other before contemplating their next course of shared a knowing look with his companion and both nodded, headed towards their own destinations.

"We are the ones who should get inside before them, right?"

Mukuro scoffed. "What else?"

* * *

><p>A certain teen was not happy.<p>

Why?

Freaking explosions suddenly happened out of nowhere and nobody had any idea there were intruders in his mansion. Not only that, those Vongola are coming. That would be a low blow on his pride and his boss's reputation. _Damn intruders don't know what they're up against. _He stared at the three rings on his hand. A malicious grin crept up on his face. _They will witness the rage and power of the Spada._

Oh well, his men will take care of it for him… hence the fact why he was alone in the room now. He'll be the trump card. Though in his case, he's just a bit scared of the sudden attack. He kept convincing himself. _I'm not afraid, just here to deal the killing blow. _

He heard screams from the outside. His eyes widened as his gaze was turned to the door— wait, where's the door? _How can the door just disappear like that? _The air felt cold and a creepy laugh echoed in the room. "Kufufufu…"

He perked up at this. "W-Who's there?"

"Oya, I expected to see Mochida-_kun_ here—" His voice was filled with malice as he uttered the name of that arrogant bastard. "—not a simpleton like you." The teen frowned. "What do you mean by that? Don't you know who I am? I'm Mochida-sama's right-hand ma—"

"Of course, of course. What do you take me for, an _**idiot**_? Guido Greco, I presume." He raised an eyebrow at the spluttering face of the bastard's right-hand man. The teen, now known as Guido, had a full-blown blush on his face. "Watch your mouth, intruder. I know who you are! The stupid pineapple-shaped hair, the annoying laugh, and the aura of your presence that makes people want to puke… you are the infamous Mukuro Rokudo!" He haughtily pointed a finger at the illusionist. Said illusionist was uncontrollably twitching.

Fran waved a hand nonchalantly. "I told you so, Master. You are, and forever will be, a pineapple fairy." Mukuro's smile also twitched. "Kufufufu… so that's how it is. Then, be prepared for your worst nightmare." The kanji on his right eye transformed from '6' to '1'. He smirked at the dazed eyes of his victim. "We stand in awe before of those which can't be seen… and we respect those that can't be explained." He gave a sly smirk. "Ah, human nature. Such a silly little thing."

His companion snorted silently. "You should really stop the philosophical thing whenever you show them your power, Master." Fran's gaze was locked onto the Spada's form. "It's not like he would _**want**_ to follow a pineapple fairy's advice." He got another stab to the head. "Ow…"

Guido stared dumbfoundedly at the darkness. _Was this the stupendous power of the Six Paths of Reicarnation I've heard of? Wow._ He could not do anything but stand there like a moron looking into nothingness. And that's when he heard the antagonizing screams. He jerked his head immediately. "What was that?"

"Guido..." Someone called out to him.

The right-hand man turned around. _I thought I heard something from behind. It must be my imagination. _He walked around in the so-called 'nothingness'. "Err… hello, anyone?" He then saw a small light from the horizon. Guido grinned. _That must be the exit. You are a fool to think I will be swayed by your illusions, Rokudo. _He ran towards the light. When he entered it, he was momentarily blinded by its brightness. He shut his eyes tightly and placed his arms in front of his face to shield himself.

As the light died down, Guido found himself in the middle of a blank space. There was nothing but the white sky and the colorless ground. He crouched and looked at the glossy surface of the floor. The man was frozen in place for what he saw.

Endless pools of blood were reflected and scattered limbs could be seen sinking down. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar teen trying to swim his way out of the pools. His boss, 'Mochida'. _N-No, this…_ _this isn't real!_ He snapped out of his stupor and tried to reach out to his superior. "M-Mochida-_sama_, hold on!" He kept banging the transparent floor.

Guido gasped in horror when 'Mochida' outstretched his hand in response. The hand went through the ground and materialized towards his right-hand man. Said subordinate was pulled into the reflection. "Don, you have to stop and get a hold of yourself!" He tried to push away his assailant but failed to do so. And so, he was now inside the image.

He himself was drowning in the sea of blood. "Ack…!" He spluttered and swam upwards. He could not move because of his so-called boss's death grip. A cynical smile was given to him. "Oh, Guido~!" He shivered at the bloodthirsty tone. 'Mochida' took out a knife and stabbed him repeatedly underwater (underblood). No matter how much he screamed, it didn't lessen the pain he went through.

Many things were sinking along with him. There was the carcass of his fellow comrades, their bodies were twisted in unimaginable ways. One of them was his twin brother. "Leo—!" He reached out a hand, only to be terrified. His brother's head suddenly dettached itself from the body and bit his finger. "Ah!" His brother's head maniacally laughed. "You'll be buried into the depths of Hell along with me, Guido!"

"Leo! Leonardo, what happened to you?" Guido's voice was a bit muffled and bubbly because of the blood. His brother's right eye became red, the same eye that Mukuro had. He gasped. "No, brother!" 'Mochida' yanked his head and pointed a dagger on his neck. His right eye was also like Mukuro's. _M-Mochida-sama? _His vision was getting blurry. Guido felt his neck slashed open. "Gaaahhh!"

Mukuro's laugh resounded in his ears. "Kufufufu, now you shall plunge into the depths of Hell, just like what your poor brother proclaimed." The sea of blood was replaced with a never-ending abyss of fire, he was burned slowly but surely by the flames. The voices he did not want to hear were plaguing him like a nightmare.

"Useless."

"Nuisance."

He clutched his head in agony. "No, you're wrong! I-I'm Mochida-sama's right-hand man! I'm better than any of you will ever be!"

"…Why brother, why? Why did you kill me, Guido?"

His eyes widened and they were plucked out of its sockets. "Aaaahhhh!" He shook his head frantically. "I didn't want to, Leo! It was Mochida-sama's order's!"

"Mochida, Mochida, Mochida. Is that all you're going to say? Pathetic. Such trash shall be disposed of." Chains wrapped around his body and he could not do anything but scream. The silhouette of his boss appeared. "Don! Please, help me!"

'Mochida' smirked. "Why should I? I don't want to waste my efforts on some nobody like you. Besides, who would want to have a weak right-hand man?" He walked away as Guido reached out to him. His vision was darkening. _Mochida… sama… Leo…_

Outside of the bloody scene, the indigo-haired illusionist cackled. He smirked at his handiwork. "It seems that our job here is done, little one." The duo undid the illusion in the room. Guido was in the middle, trembling uncontrollably.

As the two walked towards the door, a hand grabbed Mukuro's foot. "You…" A hoarse voice called. They turned around and saw the pitiful sight of the once proud right-hand man of the Spada heir. "Oh, you're still alive." Fran nonchalantly commented. Guido clicked his tongue.

"I hate to say this but… don't, don't leave me here to _die_." He whispered the last part but in the silent room, it was very clear. Mukuro cocked an eyebrow. Fran kept staring at Guido's hand, or more specifically, the 3 rings.

"P-Please, let me live longer. D-Don't let me be eaten by the shadows of my misery." Mukuro kept an impassive face yet his eyes danced with amusement. Fran decided to pipe in. "Hey Master, look here." The teal-haired teen brought Guido's hand to Mukuro's face. "Hell rings." His master smirked.

The right-hand grimaced. "I'll, I'll do anything! Just please don't let me fall into the depths of _**Hell**_." He slumped to the ground before catching his breath. The duo's eyes met before turning their gaze on the weak teen. "Then, let us make a contract. In exchange of your… survival, I'll keep the Hell rings and your body as my vessel." His eyes widened. "What!"

"Do you not want power? The power to survive?" Guido's eyes darkened. "If— If that's the case, then..." He stared directly at Mukuro's eyes. "I accept the contract."

"Very well." A trident materialized in his right hand and he stabbed the body of the ex-Spada member. After a while, Guido stood up but his right eye was now a bit red. "I am yours to use, Mukuro_-sama_."

Fran took the rings from his hands. He gave two to his master and kept the ring with the '666' to himself. "I'll be taking it with me, Master." _Not that you can make me surrender it to you. _"Do what you want." He stood up with Guido following. "We can't just call him Guido. We have to give him a new name, as a subordinate of the Kokuyo Gang." He hummed. "How about Rokumu Kurodo?"

The teal-haired teen tapped his chin in thought. "Geez, I don't want another pineapple around. It's bad enough you changed Lady Nagi's name similar to yours. Why not Leonardo Lippi? It's his brother's name, _**a shadow of his past**_." Though his statement should have many emotions, he kept an indifferent facade.

"Whatever you say, _**Francois**_." He tapped his trident. "Let us meet the others." Fran's mouth slightly twitched. "Sarcasm, huh…"

And the trio disappeared into thin air.

_**People sell their souls to the devil, yet they can see that they are merely their imagination.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Monster.<strong>_

Giotto and his guardians stared at the bloody mess in the hallways. There were carcasses everywhere, each defiled in inhumane ways. Limbs were spread in all the corners. Heck, there was even an arm hanging by the chandelier. The blond boss shivered. _I definitely don't want to know how that happened._

G grimaced at the atrocious sight. He fought the urge to puke. Whoever did this was downright sick. Asari gave him a strained smile as to encourage him, yet the stench of blood made him nauseous. Knuckles was on the other side muttering a prayer and tried to comfort a mortified Lampo.

Daemon pursed his lips. "I'm going to explore around and look for some clues." On his side, the pale-blond skylark grunted. "I hate sticking with herbivores." He quietly announced and walked away. They all knew the underlying message: _I'll check the place out myself._

They heard screams from one of the rooms, something about a 'Guido' and brother. _Guido? Wasn't that the name of Mochida's loyal subordinate?_ Giotto pondered over the possibilities. _Hm, my intuition doesn't pick up anything suspicious…_ _then it wouldn't hurt to investigate._

He headed towards the door and opened it with a loud slam. The room was empty. There were no traces of a person being here, except for the fact that the carpet was stained with blood. "That was weird." Asari commented. "I thought I heard someone from this room." G murmured. "Me too."

Knuckles examined the carpet. "Hm, the stains look fresh." Though widely known as a muscle-brained idiot, he didn't become a _priest _for nothing. I mean, he did study theology and all the complicated mumbo-jumbo. Lampo opened his closed eye. "So does that mean they were here just now? Then why didn't we find anybody? I'm sure no one can disappear that fast." Someone yelled.

"He's a demon, a monster!"

"No, please don't! I have a family to take care of back at home!"

"Graah!"

More screams were heard outside. Giotto gave a nod to his guardians. "Let's go!" Once they ran out of the room, a hooded figure could be seen, wielding dual katanas: one black, and one white. The Vongola guardians tried to stop the assassin, but they were too late. The Spada's men were already slashed in half. All resisted the unpleasant feeling in their stomachs.

"We need to make a move, fast!" Giotto ordered. Once they were about to take a step forward, six hooded figures revealed themselves just behind them. "Hmph! These are the guys that our Queen wanted to take out?" He tried to come closer and sniffed.

One of them shook his head. "Stop acting like a dog, Ken. About your question, it was just Mukuro-_sama_ who wanted them gone. Tsunayoshi-_sama_ just wished they wouldn't get in his way." The speaker had the same detached voice as Fran had. His companion shifted awkwardly. Said person whispered to the one next to him while they watched the hyper-active and emotionless assassins had a one-sided bicker. "Is this really a normal occurence, Fran-_san_?" Fran replied back. "You'll get used to it, Guido— I mean, Leo." Leo gave him a toothy grin.

_'Kufufufu, I believe it's time to show them your powers. __**Don't let them escape**__.' _Mukuro's voice rang loudly in the hooded figures' minds. The assassin at the back nodded in agreement. "Understood, Mukuro-_sama_."

The last one who haven't said anything yet laughed haughtily. "Hah! Finally the action's getting started. Mukuro-_sama_'s so cool!" _The voice is obviously female._ Asari mused to himself. _So does that mean we're gonna __fight girls?_ Mukuro smirked, wherever he is. _'Get ready, MM.'_

Giotto's guardians had their weapons out. G gave a low 'tch'. "Primo, you go forward and look for that Mochida bastard. We'll take care of these guys." Said boss smiled gratefully and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he can.

"_Pyon_, don't you dare underestimate us!" _Pyon? Isn't that some cat cosplay trend? _The (pink) red-haired right-hand thought, amusement evident in his eyes. "Ken, stop shouting. Your breath stinks a lot." Ken fumed in anger as his fangs became a lot more visible. "_Kakipi_, you—!"

"Ken, Chikusa, stop it. Mukuro-_sama_ won't like it if we get distracted…" The most silent out of all of them decided to speak, but it was not heard by the duo.

"Che, why am I even partnered up with rock-brained men and the stupid girl? At least that Fran had a job with Mukuro-_sama_!" MM sneered at her companions. Leo sweatdropped and sighed. _Maybe signing up for a contact with Mukuro-_san_ wasn't worth it._

Fran decided to cut the argument short. "Hey, quit all the noise. You two, stop bickering. You're gonna make Chrome cry… and we don't want Master on our tails now, do we?" He still kept that monotone voice of his. Everybody immediately complied. Who knows what kind of hell Mukuro will put them through for making his sister cry.

The Vongola guardians sweatdropped. MM brought out a clarinet and started to play it while they were out of it. The vibrations of the sound cracked the walls, floor, and ornaments. The guardians barely dodged the attack. G fished out his gun and started blasting holes around the place, which MM bounced back with the sound of her instrument, and which Lampo blocked with his oversized and sturdier shield (because of his Flames).

Ken roared a battle cry. He put something in his mouth—which oddly looked like fake vampire teeth—and a tattoo of a monkey appeared on his cheek. "Kong channel!" His size doubled, and he now looked like a gorilla. Alaude's eyes narrowed at the monkey-teen_. _Mutation was against the law. _And for that, you are under arrest, herbivore. _"Hn."

Chikusa attacked Asari with his yo-yos at an incredible speed. The Japanese swordsman had a few sweatdrops forming on his forehead. _Whoa, he's fast! I better not make a wrong move, those yo-yos look really dangerous. _He noticed the small glint hidden in the middle of the toys. _What are those?_

Fran and Leo were facing each other back-to-back and had their weapons out. The teal-haired illusionist was holding some sort of floating black orb and Leo was brandishing a javelin. The orb shined and out came dark-colored spheres that exploded at contact. When one of the spheres hit the ceiling, Leo used it as a chance to attack. He swung his javelin at the priest. "Take this!"

Lampo got startled by the blast. _Oh God, oh God, oh God! What am I supposed to do? _He instinctively held up his shield to his face, not knowing that he was already in front of Knuckles, and that he just deflected an assault. The green-haired aristocrat's eyes widened at the collision. "Oof!" He and Knuckles were sent rolling to the floor, but totally unharmed.

Chrome tapped a similar-looking trident to Mukuro's on the ground. Countless lotus flowers shot out of the cracks and headed straight for Daemon. "In the name of Mukuro-_sama_, you shall be defeated, Vongola." Her exclamation was almost unheard if it weren't for the fact they were in the far end of the corridor, far away from the noise.

The melon-head(?) illusionist countered it with a swipe of his scythe, strong gusts of winds countered the girl's illusion. Daemon smirked. _This is going to be fun._

* * *

><p>The assassin stared hard at the door in front of him. <em>There is no backing down, Tsuna.<em> He tells himself. Once he makes a move, he can no longer stop. Despite being stripped of his emotions, the assassin could not help but tremble. His hands couldn't stop shaking. _Is this simply from anticipation? Or is it something else?_

He shook his head. _This is my last chance. I will dispose of anyone who will get in my way. _When he took a step forward, an image of a woman flashed before his eyes.

_"Tsu, promise me never to take a life of another. Don't follow the footsteps of our bloody history." A petite brown-haired woman said, smiling at him wryly. "Even if it is for the family."_

_"Famiglia?"_

_The woman nodded. "No, _**family**_**.**__"_

_A younger Tsuna smiled back. "I understand, mama!"_

He clutched his head at the surprising wave of pain seeping through. "Ugh." _What was that about? That old scene, where have I seen it before?_

The assassin clenched his fists. This is no time to be distracted. He has to end this now. "Whoever you are…" _Sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to keep my promise to you. My freedom matters more than anything else._

He took out a deck of cards and glared at the design. It was a heart pierced with many swords wrapped around in roses and vines. "After all, I'm the Queen of Hearts. I won't let myself have a wavering resolution." He absentmindedly muttered. _By this time, I'm sure Mukuro's already in the mansion grounds. Better give him his __cue._

He threw a single card, which had the number 10 on it. The card flew towards the building's side and it attached itself to the wall. The assassin fished out the card '3' and he aimed it for the door. Tsuna snapped his fingers. The countdown commenced. _Let's start things with a big bang. _

Everything exploded and he heard yells of panic. _All according to plan. _He brought out two katanas: one black and the other, white. He ran inside and saw men approaching his direction. A man shouted while pointing his finger towards him. "Hey, an intruder—!" His head fell down, cut in half. The other men around him screamed. The brunet stabbed the next and pulled back his sword, not minding if the blood spurted out and smeared his clothing. His eyes turned orange with a tint of black. _Kill them all._

"He's a demon, a monster!"

He sliced the man's arm off.

"No, please don't! I have a family to take care of back at home!"

"Graah!"

"I simply want to be free, and you're in the way of achieving it." He paused before going for another strike. "Besides, you're in the mafia. Death is always present, _**anywhere**_."

He swiped across the hallway, slashing anyone he comes across whether it was a servant or a subordinate. People's corpses were now littered on the floor, and he had the gall to kick one of them away just because he was obstructing the stairs. When he finished climbling the stairs, the tint in his eyes changed from black to gray. _Spotting target._ His eyes roamed the vicinity, looking through the walls, until a red figure was found. _Target locked._ Orange orbs narrowed. He sneakily made his way towards the room. He stopped when he heard voices.

"What do you mean we're under attack?" Feet shuffling and pacing around resounded from the room.

"Sir, we're doing the best we can! We've already dispatched the assassination team but they haven't returned yet!"

A slap was heard.

"Don't you dare yell at me! You're just a lowly informant!" _Scum. _Tsuna thought. Blank orbs were focused on the door until a young lady ran outside. She had black hair and dark eyes. The assassin stared at her. _She looked like someone I know._

He stalked inside. Tsuna positioned his dual katana on his target's torso and ear. His victim gulped. "W-Who are you?"

"That's classified." He was about to deal the blow when the door was slammed open and a spiky-haired blond came into his view.

"Stop right there!"

He turned his head towards the said blond. "As if I'm going to obey." Another attempt failed. At first, the stranger was standing at the door, the next, he was already holding his hands behind his back with his katanas etched on the wall. _Dammit._

Tsuna kicked his assailant, making the said guy skid backwards. His cool gaze met determined blue orbs.

He took his katanas from the wall and launched for an attack. This time, his target was the stranger. "Prepare for your death. It was unfortunate you tried to interfere."

A man came out of the shadows and pointed a gun at him. His lip twitched when he slashed the man easily. He snorted softly. _Typical grunt._

Giotto looked shocked. "Why? Why are you doing this?" He dodged a swipe from the brunet. "It's none of your concern. Purely business." Another stab was headed for him and he entered HDWM, just in time to catch the sword. "Not bad for a young hitman," He set the sword ablaze with his flames as his eyes turned orange as well. "But not good enough." He threw the assassin across the room.

Tsuna cartwheeled. "Hmph. Don't use such strong words, it only makes you look weak." He propelled himself by kicking the wall, successfully tackling the startled blond. "Oof!"

The assassin stood up and went into a fighting stance as the tint in his orange orbs turned black again. This time, with a bit of red. Yet even after the alterations in his eyes, they remained dull and empty. The blond stared at him. _The color shifted! How'd that happen?_ He freaked out inwardly.

His enemy charged at him once more. This time, his katanas had flames on it: dark orange for the white one, and reddish-brown for the black. He positioned the swords in front of him in an 'X' formation. "X-mode." He muttered. The flames swirled slightly and the glow intensified. He gave off murderous intent, one that clearly shows he'll kill anyone in his way.

"Aren't you horrified with killing people?"

Tsuna gave him a blank stare. "That doesn't matter." Giotto's eyes narrowed. "Yes, it does."

The brunet shrugged him off. "No, because my feelings never mattered."_ What does he mean by that? _The blond pondered.

He swiped them together and formed a lion-shaped blast. "Leone Terra di Cielo, modo attaco!" _Sky and Earth flames! That's insane!_ Giotto thought. Tsuna stared at him with an uncaring expression. "_Sayonara_." The assassin's figure disappeared in a flash.

A strong explosion occurred as the blond boss shielded himself with his cape and gloves. Numerous sword slashes raked his body as light orange eyes shut tightly in pain. _Will I make it?_

_**Once a monster strikes, no one can do anything about it.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Fallen.<strong>_

After the explosion from upstairs, the guardians could only worry about their boss. The tremor was so strong, it knocked the wind out of all of them. Both sides tumbled to the ground. Unfortunately for Mukuro's group, his subordinates' hoods fell off. They were discovered.

"So you finally revealed yourselves." Daemon mused to himself. Somehow, their faces looked very familiar…

A blond boy growled at them. It was that gorilla boy, Ken (_Ken_-kong). "_Pyon_! Looks like we have no choice but to take them out now." He changed his cartridge (fake teeth) and turned into a dog-like creature. "Wolf channel!" Chikusa closed his eyes silently, making his yo-yos produce flaming spikes. The flames were violet.

Fran sighed and his orb shone darker. A malicious aura could be seen pouring out from it. "Activate, end of worlds." His teal eyes turned to an even lighter shade. Leo nodded. His javelin grew in size and the blade multiplied. He grinned and lunged at the men again. He stabbed the ground and several javelin spikes came out of the ground.

Knuckles blocked it with a Sun flame blast. "Maximum Ingram." He grimaced. _3 minutes, just for 3 minutes. _The black-haired priest got a headgear and a pair of gloves underneath his robe. His eyes narrowed at his enemy. It's time. He wore the said accessories and yelled out, "Maximum Break!" Sun flames covered his body as his appearance changed. He sent a flurry of punches to the ex-Spada member.

Leo smirked as his right eye turned blood red. "It's time I lend you my strength, Leo." Mukuro whispered in his mind. The subordinate felt power coursing through his veins. _So this is Mukuro-_san_'s true skill. Simply wonderful._ A powerful Lightning flame lit up on the end of the blade. The two had an attack pattern. The first would attack, the other would dodge, then said dodger would counter, which then will either be dodged or blocked by the first. Everything seemed okay until—

Knuckles's gear dissipated. His form suddenly slouched as his hands trembled.

—three minutes already passed.

Leo took the opportunity to strike him, knocking him out after a few hits. On the other side, the Vongola Storm guardian scowled. _We're gonna lose at this rate._

G took out his bow and activated G-archery. He frowned at the emotionless mask that the teal-haired illusionist had. "Take this! Tornado flame arrow!" The french frog (apple?) countered it with a shadow shield. It transformed into a Glock in Fran's hand. Said illusionist reappeared behind the right-hand man. He was already too late to turn around for the gun was already aimed to the back of his head. "Au revoir, monsieur."

A shot was fired.

MM played a rocky tune on her clarinet as the normal vibrations shifted to an even more dangerous phase. The sound patterns were a lot more disoriented and it hurt the aristocrat's ears. He winced as the vibrations made an impact on his shield. _This is hard_… _I don't wanna fight! She's scary! _He internally wailed. Another wave of music made him stumble and sent flying to the wall. "Hold… it… in…" His eyes watered at the pain he felt from the impact. "Uwah!" His shield sparked. "I can't take it anymore! Corna Fulmine!"

The red-haired girl was caught off guard. She would've been fried if it weren't for Chikusa interfering by spinning his yo-yos real fast. He turned to his comrade. "MM, you should be more wary of your enemy. Mukuro-_sama_ and Tsunayoshi-_sama_ will not tolerate failures, especially when _**he's**_ watching over them." Slender fingers were wrapped rigidly on the instrument's shaft. She lowered her head. "_**I know**_." The violet orbs twinkled reddish-brown before returning back to its original color.

Her eyes flared with determination and cruelty. "Die," She played a very fast tune. "Vivace!" It was too much for the green-haired aristocrat to handle. His Lightning flames dispersed, while Storm flames came into view. _Don't tell me—! _Lampo felt a sting on different parts of his body. _No… _He fell to the ground. Asari tried to go towards him, but was blocked by the beanie-wearing hitman. "Lampo!"

Ken grinned as he continued to swipe at the French skylark. "You're strong, it makes my blood boil. For that, you're gonna be my prey." He pounced at the pale-blond male as his claws were swatted away by a pair of twirling handcuffs. "I'll cuff you to death." They exchanged blows but neither back down from the other. Both of them silently grumbled. The blond continued to look for an opening. _There!_

He bit the Frenchman's shoulder, making sure to insert some poison. The officer fell on one knee. "Heh, you're lucky Tsu-_sama_ doesn't want to kill anyone who's not a Spada. If not, then I would've injected a fatal poison on you." From beside him, MM grinned. "So many explanations. Why won't you just admit you're getting soft?" He sneered at her.

She tauntingly walked towards the Vongola Cloud guardian. "You're Chikusa's counterpart? Gorgeous, but such a waste since we're enemies. Don't worry about the poison, it's just a stun-type." Her eyes sparkled. "Now that I think about it, Vongola Primo and the Mist guardian's hot too. Oh well, Mukuro-_sama_ is just as sexy as any of you!" Alaude grimaced at her outward flirting. Ken facefaulted to the ground. "Stop flaunting around the enemy, MM!"

"You're just envious of me because you can't even flirt with your opposite gender!"

"What did you say, you red-haired bitch?"

The two glared hard at each other.

Meanwhile, the swordsman and the stoic yo-yo user were still at it. Sweat dripped slowly from both of their foreheads. They did not mind if their arms felt sore or if they felt tired. What mattered now was winning over the other. Chikusa's spikes grew larger and got a lucky stab to Asari's side. His eyes bore through the Japanese teen's form. "_Gomenasai_." He muttered. The flutist eyes widened. _Sorry? What is he apologizing for? Aren't we enemies? _He got his answer when a carefully-placed pressure was sent to a part of his neck which made him unconscious.

Daemon was the only one left. Chrome was someone not to underestimate when it comes to illusions. Whatever illusion he made, she immediately counters it. Whatever strategy he plotted, she always sees through it. And everytime she foiled his plans, she would give him that sweet yet sickening smile— as if she was expecting a praise from him. Afterwards, she'll have that disappointed glint in her eyes. _Yeah, right. Like I'll give you pity._

He pounced at the girl, when she ducked, and she slammed the butt of her trident to his stomach. He coughed out blood from the force. The male illusionist wiped off the excess blood from his lips. _She's good. Too good, if I may add._ Not that he'll openly admit it, but he was impressed. _Now's not the time to admire illusions. Elena is waiting for me back at home, and I'm not gonna leave the world just yet._

Chrome gave him a sad glance and continued to cast horrifying illusions at him. _Why can't he see it? Why doesn't he realize anything?_ She bit her lip as she formed the silhouette of a familiar brown-haired lady with light blue eyes. It was not merely any woman, it was the most important woman in Daemon's life. He froze and breathed out, "E-Elena…" She had the same sweet smile on her face, but had the young girl's trident in her hands. "How— How can I face my lovely Elena?" He murmured.

'Elena' went in for the kill. She kept on attacking him, but he could only evade her advances. How is he supposed to fight the one he loves? Before he knew it, 'Elena' already stabbed him in the chest. He spat out more blood. Daemon's vision slowly darkened. _Elena, I've failed you._ It was all that girl's fault. That girl with the nostalgic face.

Then it hit him like a boulder.

The image of a smaller, more innocent purple-haired girl in a white dress entered his mind. She was grinning wholeheartedly at him. His eyes softened. "_Imouto_… my dear sorella…"

_A purple-haired girl cried as her parents walked away. Her older companion, a boy with aqua-blue hair tended to her bruises. "Shh… stop crying now, _imouto_. You know that what they said weren't true." He sent a glare towards their parents' backs. "B-But—"_

_He gently placed a finger on the girl's lips. "There's no need to believe them. What matters is that I'll always be by your side." She ceased her crying and only sniffled. "Really?"_

_"I promise. Nothing can separate us."_

_"We'll be together forever, right _nii-sama_?" She gave him a heartwarming smile. He grinned back and patted her head affectionately. "That's right, my little Nagi."_

He turned to face his assailant. He croaked out, "Girl— Nagi, is that y-you?" Chrome smiled wryly. "I'm Chrome now. But I…" She shook her head. _It's not like I can be with my brother again._ "Goodbye, _nii-sama,_" She faced her back towards him. "My real, blood-related _nii-sama_. I love you too—"

She faced him again, though he wasn't awake now. "—but Mukuro-_sama_ is my brother now."

_**Don't let your past and your mistakes overcome you, or else you will never rise from the ashes of death.**_

* * *

><p>In the midst of the chaos, in a lone room, the white-haired boss smirked to himself. He popped a marshmallow into his mouth as he listened to the voices from the speaker. Byakuran stood up and turned on a communicator.<p>

His eyes were blazing, and so were his hands. His whole body was shaking in excitement. The Millefiore boss was sporting an amused face. He contacted his most trusted subordinate— second only to himself.

"Good job, Cielo—" He was clutching a glass of lemonade. His grip tightened and his eyes exuded pure malice.

The glass shattered in his grip. "—but not good enough." Byakuran paced around his room.

"After all, you still haven't killed Mochida yet." He gave that irritating trademark smirk of his. The shadows of the dark room and the moonlight seeping through the cracks on the walls made him look like an angel. Or more specifically…

An angel of death.

The white-haired man chuckled cruelly to himself. _The game is just getting started. We haven't even finished playing the opening song yet._

_**To achieve your deepest desires, you always have to sacrifice something precious in return.**_

* * *

><p>Meh. I prefer blue orbs for Giotto outside HDWM. Sorry for the delay! The next chapter is part 2.<p>

I know the part where Mukuro and Leo made the contract was lame. The fighting scenes weren't good, either...

I think the Varia and Kokuyo gang went to France to recruit Fran according to a manga chapter. Correct me if I'm wrong. Well, even if I'm wrong, I'm keeping his French bloodline. Fran does sound like France.

Okay, so one of you was wondering what's the text legend at the top for if I'm using real Japanese, French, and Italian words. Please take note: I'm not Japanese, French, nor Italian. I need it if I don't know the translation for something (which are a lot of words).

Already fixed errors.

**Preview:**

"That's simply impossible. How did you—!"

"I won't give up, not until my last breath!"

"I'm sorry, but you failed. You'll just have to start over again~!"

"No… why…?"

"Go, Mukuro. Get out of there with the others."

"Tsunayoshi-_kun_, we're not leaving without you."

"Tsuna!"

"Do I know you?"

"You will never escape, because you only belong to me."

"Who am I? I don't even know myself…"


	3. 3: Shattered remains

Hello, everyone! Thanks for all the support yet again. Honestly, I didn't think anyone would like last time's chapter.

And to 10th Squad 3rd Seat's question: Really? I just got that dialogue from some show, and I couldn't remember. Mahaha, I didn't know I just used a quote from Bleach. Oh well, it did sound awesome.

Sheesh, it's hard to speak (write) in English. Good thing Flonne-onee-san's here to help me correct the mistakes.

I actually updated much faster than what I originally thought.

Haha, enjoy!

"Italian."

"_Japanese_."

_'Telepathy.'_

"_**Highlights**_."

"_Flashback_."

_Thoughts._

* * *

><p><strong>Black Resolution<strong>

**Target 3: Shattered remains**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Memories.<strong>_

The force of the explosion was so great that it charred the entire room and everything was set ablaze. The assassin's cool gaze never left the form of his new victim. _Hmph, weak. Too bad you were caught in the crossfire. _His eyes settled on the person who hid in the farthest corner, clothes black from the smoke. He pointed his sword towards his target's forehead.

"Well, it's your turn to die. Say your prayers, lowly traitor." The flames on his weapon burst even more, making the dark-haired male cower in fear. He begged him, "Please… spare me…" The brunet hitman tilted his head to the side, as if finding his plea confusing. "And why should I? You should've known this was coming when you betrayed Primofiore, Mochida-_sempai_." He whispered the last part with fake sweetness in his voice.

Mochida's form went rigid. Out of all of the students he used to interact with and picked on, there was only one person who would address him as such. "You— You're Tsuyosa Shinadawa, f-from class 2-A." Tsuna grinned wickedly. Fiery orbs held glints that promised pain and endless torture. "I believe you have the wrong person, Mochida-_sempai_." He stabbed the black sword to the other's lower leg as to prevent him from escaping. He didn't bat an eyelash on the ear-splitting scream he received from his so-called upperclassman.

"After all, the 'Tsuyosa Shinadawa' you spoke of does not exist." The assailant lifted the white sword. "Same person, wrong name."

He was about to deal the deathblow yet again until—

A hand wrapped around his side where he held the white sword and the other hand on his neck, holding a small needle that was almost— _almost _stabbing him.

"Stop." A hoarse voice resounded in his ears. His head swerved to the side, and saw the blond mafia boss. The assassin saw red. _I will get rid of anyone who'll get in my way._ He pushed his restrainer away, not minding the slight prick he felt on his neck. Tsuna took out a pistol from his cloak's pocket.

He aimed it at the Vongola Primo but his stare bore into Mochida's soul. "It seems that I haven't finished you off. How would you like to die?" He hummed for a while as he thought up of different ways to make the mafioso's will waver. "Do you want to be charred to ashes? Limbs pulled off one by one? Tear your skin forcefully? Or get yourself beheaded? It's your choice."

Giotto's orbs darkened. "I'm… ending this… right here, right now!" He gasped slightly as a fit of coughs attacked him. The assassin gave him a seemingly pitying look. "You look horrible." He blandly commented. The blond gritted his teeth. "And whose fault do you think it is?"

Tsuna sent him a blank stare. "Yours." His eyes widened. "Wha— What do you mean by 'mine'?" The brunet had an empty smile plastered on his face. "You were stupid enough to charge in here, knowing the dangers that lie beyond just waiting for you." He grimaced. "Why do even want to help this scum? He is nothing but a double-crossing trash."

"Do I even need a reason to help him? He needed my assistance and that's why I'm lending my strength to him." Primo looked at him with those emotions, the same damn emotions that brown-haired woman in his weird visions had. He lowered his head as he felt a miniscule ache.

_"Tsu—!" She shouted in anger, surprise, disbelief, and most of all, disappointment. He just stood there like a statue, totally uncaring of the world as blood trickled down his hands. Not his blood, but the blood of those around him. Dead people surrounded the young boy and he gave his mother an innocent yet insane smile. "Mama, you're very proud of me… right?"_

_She gasped in horror. "Proud? How can I be proud?" The woman flailed her arms. "Look at this, look at all these men!" She grasped his shoulders tightly as her nails dug into her son's flesh, sleeves torn from the previous fight. "You killed them! You promised you won't take a life!"_

_Tsuna sent her a watery gaze. "B-B-But mama—! They… they were going to hurt my brothers and sisters!" His fists clenched. "Aren't you happy that I protected the family from danger?" She had a bewildered expression on her face. The woman then slapped her son repeatedly on both of his cheeks. Rage clouded her judgement and emotions got the best of her._

_"You— You evil little boy!" Another slap. "I expected better from you!" And another slap. "You're the biggest disappointment in my life!" She pushed him roughly to the floor. Tears fell endlessly as he ran away from his mother. His younger siblings had scared but understanding gazes. Why did their mother condemn their brother when all he did was protect them? He didn't intend to take away their lives._

_Then his mother fell on her knees. Realization dawned upon her as she stared at her shaking hands. "What… have I… done…?" She immediately stood up and went after her son. "No way, no!" The woman yelled at the top of her lungs, "Tsu, come back! I'm sorry!"_

_But it was too late. Tsuna was already out of her sight._

His bangs shadowed the hesitating flicker in his eyes. _Another one, huh. What happened afterwards? _Tsuna saw the questioning stare sent towards him, and decided not to think about it. At least, for now.

"Can't you feel anything for those whom you've killed? Don't you have any feelings?" He frowned at the brunet. "Feelings? Those are unnecessary. They merely hinder one's progress."

Giotto entered HDWM again. Though this time, his stance is a bit wobbly. "What are you saying? Feelings are important! It's also what makes us human!" The assassin's eyes hardened again. "Well, maybe I'm not human." He stabbed the blond with his own hands, metallic gloves pierced through Vongola Primo's skin. He stumbled backwards as Tsuna stared at him without a care in the world.

The assassin turned his back on the mafia boss and returned to his business. "Where was I again? Oh right," He smirked at Mochida. "Now then, it's time for me to—" Giotto pounced on him, successfully making the both of them fall to the ground.

"That's simply impossible. How did you—!"

The blond's eyes were in a daze, but the flame on his forehead never flickered. He stood in an offensive position. "I won't give up, not until my last breath!" His flames grew in power, clearly showing the lengths of his resolve. Tsuna pursed his lips. "Then I'll make sure this will be your last."

The two exchanged blows yet again. The blond boss had a scornful expression plastered on his face. _How can a person be like that exist? So cold and merciless!_ His mind wandered back to the dead members of the Spada, subordinate or servant. At the thought, he instantly grimaced.

"Aren't you mortified these deaths will be etched in your memory forever?" Giotto felt blood stir up in his mouth. He gritted his teeth too hard. The brunet assassin gave him a bored stare, yet his eyes showed confusion. The latter blocked a fiery jab with his white sword.

"I do not understand you. Memories are just recollections of one's existence. Besides, why get caught up in the past when it already happened? It's not like you can change it." Sky flames were aimed at his head, and he barely dodged the strike.

"You heartless monster!" Vongola Primo bellowed in pure anger. Tsuna could not help but feel a shiver running down his spine. _A strange sensation… what is it called?_ He ignored it and chose to launch another attack. "

"You don't need to tell me that, I already know I'm one a long time ago." He smashed his knee to the other's stomach, making him cough up blood. Giotto wiped his mouth. _He is one tough nut to crack._ Primo's fists clenched even tighter. Pure anger boiled up inside of him.

No, his anger was not stirred by the fact he couldn't stand against the assassin.

Instead, he was instantly riled up by a nonchalant remark.

"What are you going to do now? Every minute wasted here is a minute spent to torture your _**Famiglia**_ down below." That was it.

Giotto snapped.

His gloves lit very brightly. _It's time to end this._ When Tsuna stared into the determined orange orbs, he was swept away by his memories yet again.

_"Say, Tsuna. Will you stay here with me?" A girl with dark hair asked him. Mirthful orbs stared into his own as their mouths twitched upward. Tsuna had a sad smile on his face. "I can, Yume-_chan_…__but I'm not sure until _**when**_." He emphasized his point by slightly tugging the chains on his wrists. "I don't think I'll last long. You know the gist—"_

_Yume closed her eyes as if she was praying. "Duty calls. I know, I know." She tugged at her own bindings, wincing as it harshly scraped her skin. "I wonder when we'll get out of here." The girl glanced at the ceiling in a momentary daze. The brunet looked down for a moment. Yume giggled, albeit a bit forced. "Being disappointed and stuff doesn't suit 'ya, you know? So you better stop mopin' around like a kicked puppy. Don't lose hope, Tsuna."_

_"Then, let's make a promise." That got her attention. She tilted her head to the side. "What are you planning, Tsuna?"_

_He reached out to her and held her hands. "We'll promise that no matter what, we'll watch each other's backs. No one will leave this place without the other, no one is going to get left behind." All he received from her was a hopeful grin._

_"You do realize that I'll do anything for you." His head looked to her direction spontaneously. "I'll survive, for the both of us. We'll escape somehow." She gave him an encouraging nod. "I won't go down 'til we find a way to escape from Byakuran._

_Tsuna couldn't help but smile back. Their resolution was firm. "Understood." _For freedom, and for friendship._ He thought._

_Yume's eyes sparkled and he can see beneath those happy orbs was her sheer will to go on._

_**Those eyes…**_

_That was—_ He was just standing in the middle of the room, suddenly stopping his assaults. Taking advantage of the situation, the blond went in for the strike.

He was too caught up in his reverie that he was not able to avoid Giotto's punch. The force was so great that he was sent toppling to the other side of the room. That was not the only thing coming for the assassin. A flurry of punches and kicks hailed down on him as he was still stuck in his stupor.

A familiar voice rang loudly in his mind. _'Well now, isn't it ironic for you to be indulged in those memories that __you considered useless? You were the last person I expected to be affected by them.'_ That snapped him out of his thoughts. _Primofiore?_

It was too late though. Vongola Primo managed to elbow him in the gut and knock his head hard on the ground. As his vision gradually blurred, he could not help but try to fight his own consciousness. _I can't collapse now, not when everything is at stake—_

He couldn't do it.

He finally let his consciousness slip away from his grasp. _It's… all… over…_

Giotto's fire died down. He slumped to the ground in exhaustion. "I actually… beated him…" He approached the brunet and saw him peacefully eyes softened at the image displayed before him. _Now that I look at him, he doesn't seem like the cold-hearted assassin I fought. _

He wobbly carried the brunet on his back, and walked back to his guardians. Before he could even leave, a hand suddenly grabbed his ankle. It was the forgotten (and scared to death) Mochida. The other's leg was still bleeding. As for the sword, it seemed that the Spada heir threw it away carelessly at the corner of the room. He pleaded to the blond. "Please, just… please. Help me, the Spada's—"

Primo gave him a pitying glance. "Don't worry, Mochida. We'll help, just," He glanced at the door. "Wait, okay? I have to… get my… guardians." He coughed at the end of his sentence. That battle really took a lot out of him.

The blond trudged his way out of the room, hurrying downstairs with all his might. _Please let me make it in time!_

_**Once you get caught up in the past, you will no longer have any future to look forward to.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Broken.<strong>_

Tsuna opened his eyes and saw the same beautiful scenery when he talked with Mukuro. A hand landed on his shoulder and his reflexes automatically activated, making him grab the said hand and punch that person. The brunet's fist, however, paused in mid-air when he saw who dared touch him.

"Primofiore." He bowed. "I give you my deepest apologies for that attempted attack."

"Ne, ne, Tsunayoshi. You sure took a beating there!" Tsuna broke his bowing stance at once, gazing into those violet orbs which hid many sinister things. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. _Strange, he usually calls me Tsu-_chan_ or Usagi in this place. I wonder…_

Byakuran sent him that shiver-inducing smile that promised bad news. "Do you know why I came here to visit you?" The assassin shook his head. "I'm afraid not." _Though, I do have an idea._

The white-haired man loomed over him. "Your mission." He started to pace around, encircling the boy. "I'm sorry, but you failed. You'll just have to start over again~!" A pack of marshmallows was in his hands right away, as if it poof-ed there in an instant.

He slumped down, an uneventful realization dawned upon him. _He's not serious, is he...?_ "No… why…?" Monotonous yet in disbelief, his voice cracked, as if it has not been used in a long time. "This wasn't part of the deal, _**Byakuran**_." His tone had a hint of spite in it, and his temporary boss knows what's in store for him if he doesn't elaborate further.

The Millefiore boss simply snorted in response. "Oh my, have you forgotten the contract? Did you forget my parting words back then, that I would not accept any failures?" The brunet clenched his fists. "Do remember, you were unable to get rid of that incompetent nincompoop."

Tsuna fell to his knees. "I—" He hesitated for a moment. "I'll do anything to redeem my mistake."

Byakuran tapped his chin in thought before he grinned wolfishly. "Well… you are my advisor. Maybe I can give you a second chance, but it'll be the last opportunity you'll get." The other's eyes shone with a bit hope. "Since it seems you're taken back to Vongola's headquarters, I want you to pretend to befriend them. Wait for them to lower their guard around you."

He turned his back against the assassin. "And when you finally achieve that stupid thing they call 'trust', that's when the real mission starts." The white-haired boss faced his second-in-command. "Assassinate Giotto Ieyasu Vongola and retrieve the Vongola rings."

The Millefiore Primo was fading bit by bit. "Remember this. Once you don't meet the requirements, you'll be serving me for the rest of your life. Am I making myself clear?" Tsuna gave him a salute. "I will get my hands on those rings and kill that blond even if it's the last thing I'll do."

"I knew I could count on you, Tsu-_chan_. You know what happens if you switch sides, right?" Byakuran patted him on the head.

The man gave him a fox-like smirk. "And I would leave if I were you. The fights from before really took a lot out of the building. It seems the place is gonna collapse. Anyhow, what's your answer?"

"My precious people will be dead, just like Arie-_nee_."

"Correct, just like Arietta."

He looked at the sky. _Mukuro, Na-_chan_, Yume-_chan_ and all the others… they are precious, despite_— He closed his eyes. _Despite the fact I know not why they are important to me._

"I won't let it end like this."

* * *

><p>The Kokuyo gang sneered at the sight of the out-cold guardians. MM observed them in disdain. "Sheesh, these guys are sooo weak!" She stretched lightly and sent a disapproving glare at the now-rolling-on-the-floor-Ken. "So bored~!"<p>

She kicked him hard. "Stop acting like a dog if you don't want to be called one, stupid mutt! You're ruining Mukuro-_sama_'s reputation!" Ken froze in his spot. Leo snickered silently on the sidelines.

Fran stood next to him and whispered, "Hey… you should look forward to how he acts when Master's around." The ex-Spada member beside him grinned. Ken growled. Apparently, the blond mutt-boy heard their conversation. "What do you mean by that, froggie?"

"On, Ken-_nii-san_. I was just telling Leo about how loyal you are to Master. I wasn't making fun of your behavior or some sort." He sarcastically remarked and the said subordinate nodded in contentment, as a dog would when he's satisfied with his master's praise. Leo howled in laughter. "Stop laughing, _pyon_!" Chrome shook her head in exasperation. Fran muttered, "You're still Master's faithful guard dog in the end."

"I'll show you I'm not a mutt! I won't growl, I won't act like an animal, I won't tail after Mukuro-_sama_, and I won't chase anything!"

"Oh really now?" Leo queried, with a huge smirk on his face. The blond huffed. "That's right, _pyon_!" The silent one of the group crossed her arms in amusement as she established a mind-connection with Mukuro.

_Mukuro-_sama_? _She asked, and got a chuckle in return. _Don't worry about them, Nagi. Just stay on your spot and relax. I feel that the next turn of events are… amusing._

The other emotionless one of the group walked towards them and petted Ken's head. "Watch this."

Chikusa decided to show a neat trick. He fished out a teeth cartridge from his pockets—_I definitely don't want to know how he got that._ Fran thought,—and he waved it in front of the blond-teen. "Here, Ken. Look." He tossed it at the far end of the hallway. The other's eyes widened as he ran after the item. MM rolled her eyes. "Not gonna chase anything, my ass."

Mukuro suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Kufufufu, it seems that you're all having fun here." Ken stopped in his tracks and dropped the fake vampire teeth-slash-toy dentures-slash-cartridge. "M-Mukuro-_sama_—! I-I… this… this is not what it seems to be!"

"Whatever you say, Ken." He sighed at his subordinate's antics. The pineapple-haired (no offense) illusionist suddenly felt an arm hook up with his. He turned to the side and saw it was the red-haired female. "Mukuro-_sama_~, let's hurry and go meet Tsu! You know we can't just leave our Queen here." She whispered seductively. "And after this, we can have a little alone time for you-know-what..."

Chrome had the kicked puppy-look on her face. "M-Mukuro-_sama_, I thought you were still single. Don't you trust me enough with these relationships of yours?" The indigo-haired male had a startled face, totally out of character. He noticed the glare sent to a sweatdropping yet smirking MM. "My sweet Chrome, I can explain—" He said with a shaky voice.

He suddenly heard someone talk in his head. _'I'll do anything to redeem my mistake.'_

_'Well… you are my advisor. Maybe I can give you a second chance, but it'll be the last opportunity you'll get.'_

The illusionist paused for a second. _Tsunayoshi-_kun_? And that bastard… Byakuran? Why are they together? Where are those two? What are they talking about?_

Leo watched them, slightly puzzled. "Hey, what does Miss Dokuro mean by that?" Fran whistled quietly. "Whenever Master had a girlfriend, Lady Nagi would act like a jealous fangirl and go berserk. There was this one time when she burned the hair of his past fling. Back then, she said that 'her hand slipped' that's why she dropped the lighted matchstick on the other's head." The new recruit laughed nervously._ I didn't know Miss Dokuro could be scary as hell._

The teal frog (apple?) adjusted his weird hat. "If I didn't know any better, I'd shrugged it off that she was still not used to having his attention diverted from her. Since that's not the case, I noticed she was acting too weirdly. It was so obvious she liked Master and did not tell him her feelings yet."

"Why wouldn't she?" Fran turned his gaze back to the trio. "She's afraid of rejection, that he'll treat her differently after she confesses. I wouldn't blame her for being like that, because she was already set aside before." The recruit nodded in understanding and sympathy.

"You shoudn't forget," He started. "That each one of the Kokuyo had horrible pasts, including you and Queen."

Mukuro, MM, and Chrome's argument ceased to an end while Ken and Chikusa had a lover's quarrel in the background. Their leader faked a cough. "Kufufufu, it seems that the mission is a success on our part, no?" They nodded. "You better get these… _**lowlifes**_ away while I'll check on Tsunayoshi-_kun_."_ I don't trust that marshmallow-obsessed freak. Not now, not ever. Besides, he was the reason why_—

His thoughts were interrupted when the red head yelled, baffled. "M-Mukuro-_sama_, what are you saying? I thought you didn't care about these _**gorgeous**_ yet annoying pests!" Mukuro chuckled. "Our dear Queen doesn't want unnecessary deaths, albeit lacking emotions." He crossed his arms. "We wouldn't want him to get upset now, do we?"

They shook their heads. He grinned. "Good. Now off I go." He disappeared in the mist.

"Mukuro-_sama_, stay safe." Chrome warned, not sure if her surrogate brother heard her.

While he headed for the brunet's mind, Mukuro could not help but sense a foreboding news.

* * *

><p>When the other was gone, a different person replaced him. <em>Speak of the devil.<em> Tsuna lowered his guard on purpose. "Hello, Mukuro." The said teen waved.

"And what did I do to deserve this visit?" Mukuro rubbed the back of his head, letting his real personality take over; something that he wouldn't show outside his family of friends. He gave a lopsided grin. "I was just checking up on you. Also…" He grimaced.

"I heard you and that bastard a while ago. Where is he?" Tsuna stiffened a little when he mentioned the man. "He left already."

"I see…" He felt the brunet's intense stare at him. "What?"

The assassin directed his eyes on the ground. "You—" He staggered a bit,—_Fatigue?_ Mukuro wondered.— and leaned on the tree beside him; which appeared out of nowhere. "Go, Mukuro. Get out of there with the others."

"There? Why?" He pursed his lips. "Tsunayoshi-_kun_, we're not leaving without you." The brunet frowned. "The building's about to go down. You shouldn't worry about me since I have something else to take care of." He was about to open his mouth and tell him but his friend held a finger to his lips.

The older male sighed. "Don't tell me… a new mission? Why would he give you another one?" Tsuna was a bit doubtful, whether to say the reason or not._ It's now or never._

And so he told the indigo-haired teen about his earlier conversation with Byakuran. For every detail he revealed, Mukuro's expression became even more murderous.

"He has no right to do that." _Especially when you're broken far beyond redemption_. The illusionist crossed his arms. "What are you going to do?" The assassin had that blank smile plastered on his face again. "It's not like I have a choice in the matter."

"What about you? Where is your body now?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. All I know is that the enemy's bringing me to their place."

Mukuro gritted his teeth as he faded from Tsuna's mindworld. "I truly hate the mafia."

"You're not the only one."

* * *

><p>The informant with black hair ran back into the room where Mochida was recovering. She crouched down and picked up the said heir, carrying him on her back. The Spada Terzo spoke in a hoarse voice, "Why would you help me in spite of the bad things I've done to you?"<p>

The teen spat out, "Just shut your fucking trap. I've had enough of your chitter-chatter today." Mochida had a perplexed expression. "Answer me. Why?"

"Stop talking, okay? I've held back sharp retorts at you for you might remove me from my job." She pondered at the idea. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I'll be able to keep working for you since the whole place was trashed and you don't have any more money—"

"Hana Kurokawa." He said in a slightly stern tone. The informant sighed. _Fine, stubborn babboon._

"Even though you kept on shouting at me during work hours, you were the one that gave me this stable job," She took a deep breath. "And I wouldn't have been able to pay for my brother's medical bills if I was unemployed." She sneered at him. "Don't think I'm helping you because I want to, got it bastard?" Mochida nodded, not wanting to anger her further. They did say: 'hath no fury like a woman scorned'.

Hana ran with all her might and jumped out of the window, landing harshly on a bush. She let Mochida stand on his feet while she supported him. Both hobbled towards the gates.

"Say, Kurokawa."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I still have a chance on Kyoko?"

The informant twitched. Hana slapped him with great vigor as her face was as red as an apple.

"Don't say such indecent things about my best friend!"

A pale pink hand print was left on his cheek. Mochida placed his arms in front on his face in an 'X' manner. "That wasn't even indecent!"

"Ha, like you'll fool me. You're just all buddy-buddy with me so you can hit on Kyoko without me interfering!" The girl stormed off, smoke could be seen coming out from her ears and head.

"Eh? Kurokawa, wait! Don't leave me hereee!"

_**It's our job to pick up the remains of what little we have left and make the best out of it.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Dull innocence.<strong>_

Giotto carried the brunet bridal-style, as he ran to the hallway where his guardians were fighting. He guessed that they were still there, since he could not hear any clashes of metal or further explosions in that direction.

What he did not anticipate was the emptiness of the corridor.

Though there were signs of struggle and a fierce battle in the area, there was not even a single person. He was utterly lost and worried. _Where did they go? _At the exact moment, the ceiling abruptly fell down. The blond froze. _I have to get out of here, quick!_ He noticed the troubled face the assassin had. _I wonder what he is dreaming about._

Giotto muttered to himself. "There's no time to waste." He ran while the rest of the ceiling gave way behind him. He stumbled upon many debris on his way to the front door. _There!_

He jumped with all his might and broke through the door. And outside, were his guardians; all unconscious and uncaring. Just as he was about to wake them up, the building caved in. The blond turned around and gave a shaky laugh. _I-I would have been squished like a pancake if I didn't jump. That was a close one…!_

It was then he heard a groan from the group. He saw it was G and walked to him. "Hey, you okay?"

The red-haired(?) man gave him a deadpanned glare. "Do I look okay to you?" He pointed to the big throbbing bruise on the back of his head, the scratches on his body, and some blood dripping from his clothes. The blond sweatdropped. "Err, no…?"

G snorted. "So… what happened, Primo?" The blond gestured to the sleeping brunet in his arms. His right-hand man's face heated up immediately. "G-Giotto, y-you…!" He pointed a shaky finger to the said assassin. "I can't believe you had an illegitimate child!"

"W-WHAT? G, what are you saying? I'm too young to be a father of a teenager! Besides," He let out a meek response. "I-I'm still… a virgin." The boss whispered the last part. The said teen's friend gasped in horror. "He's not? Then that means—" The blond gulped at the suspense.

"YOU KIDNAPPED HIM?" His boss fell down anime-style with a huge sweatdrop on his head. "N-No, I wouldn't!" _I'm not interested in those kind of acts! Though the boy is kinda cute—_ He mentally smacked himself for having such a perverse mind. _What am I even thinking?_

"That blush on your face said otherwise, Giotto. I didn't know you were a shotacon."

"Hey!" He yelled in embarrassment. "Don't accuse me with some word that only Haru would say!" _I've never even heard of that word._ He shuddered._ I think Haru's rubbing off on you too much._ A tick mark appeared on G's forehead. "You know better than to lump me with that idiotic yaoi-freak!"

"Maa, what's with all the commotion?" Lampo shook his head when he said that. He placed a hand on the Rain guardian's shoulder. "Yare, yare, leave them be Ugetsu. They're probably arguing over something stupid."

"Lampo, you shouldn't speak ill of your neighbors."

Lampo huffed. "But they aren't my neighbors, Knuckles. One's my boss and the other's the moronic pink octopus-head."

"I'll arrest you all for crowding and disrupting the peace with your noise." The other three gawked at him as if he grew another head. _How can it be peaceful when there were many explosions and the Spada mansion is burning to the ground?_

Unlike the rest of them, Daemon decided to keep quiet for now. The idea of his sister joining the ranks of those _damn _Millefiore irked him to no end.

The duo stopped. _Huh?_ Was the only thought that entered their minds. That's when they realized that the rest of Primo's guardians woke up. Giotto was the first to react. "Ah, all of you are fine. That's good."

G gave Lampo a noogie, forgetting his previous conversation with the blond. "And who, pray tell, did you call a pink octopus head?" The aristocrat flailed his arms in pain. "Ow, ow, ow! Quit it!"

Alaude approached Vongola Primo. He narrowed his eyes at his own boss. "Get us out of here or _**I will cuff you to death.**_" Giotto nodded, not wanting to be his Cloud guardian's prey. _And he seemed pissed off too._ He cried inwardly.

"Let's go, everyone." His guardians grinned (Alaude smirked). Daemon headed straight for the carriages. "I'll call Reborn for this." While they were heading back to the mansion, the blond could not help but muse about the earlier events. _Hm_… _it feels like I forgot something._ He shrugged. "I'm sure it's not that important."

Poor Mochida, Giotto didn't even remember him. Nevertheless, he does have Hana to help him.

And he also didn't remember about his guardians' opponents.

In the end, he just observed the assassin as he dozed off.

* * *

><p>Tsuna woke up again. This time, finding himself in a huge bed. His big doe eyes blinked sleepily as he scanned his surroundings. <em>Where am I?<em> He noticed that he was only wearing a long dress shirt and boxers while his arms were wrapped with bandages. He tried to get up when something beside him moved, and it had him quite startled. "The hell?" Tsuna saw a lump.

The brunet poked whatever was underneath the blanket and it moved again with a little giggle. _Weird._ He poked it much harder and the lump whimpered, "Cut it out, I'm trying to sleep here… zzz…" He decided to kick 'it'. A blond teen a couple of years older than him went flying towards the wall. _Well, that worked._ The said teen grunted in pain. "I think my nose is broken."

The assassin peered at him. It was the same guy he fought. _Why did the blond take him here? _Not his problem given that it makes his job easier. _Infiltration, complete; if I can label the act of my enemy carrying me to their base as an infiltration._

"Oh, you're awake already?" Giotto rubbed the back of his head. Tsuna's hands twitched. "No, I'm just your imagination. I'm still sleeping soundly on your bed." An awkward silence soon followed.

"Okay… so who are you?"

"Why should I give you my name? It's none of your business. A name is just a label to differentiate a person from the others." He smirked. "Besides, I don't wanna give my name to some pervert who leaves me in nothing but a shirt and underwear while slumbering beside me." Giotto blushed. "T-That's—"

He sighed. Another headache was dawning upon him. "Anyways, names are meaningful. It's something that gives you your uniqueness. Can you answer my question now? I can tell if you are lying."

"Then why not figure out for yourself who I am?" Tsuna crossed his arms. _No use getting info out of him. _The blond shook his head.

Giotto stood up and went to a door. "This door leads to the bathroom." He pointed to a larger door. "That one leads to the corridor. If you need clothes, there are some in the closet over there. I'll go and take you to the kitchen later for lunch." He went inside the lavatory.

The brunet had a question mark on his head. _Lunch?_ He noticed a grandfather clock from his periferal view. It showed '11:30'. Meanwhile, the windows reflected the sun's rays. He raised an eyebrow. _How long was I out?_

His guts were telling him that something he did not anticipate would happen later.

_**Expect the unexpected, but they didn't call it unexpected for nothing.**_

* * *

><p>True to the blond's words, they went to the kitchen for dinner. This time, Tsuna wore a plain white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. However, it was a tad big for the petite brunet. He closed his eyes. <em>Who did I inherit this girly body from again?<em>

Lunch was quiet for the group, mostly because the loud ones were all watching at him like a freak. The assassin decided to speak up. Those stares bothered him a lot. "I didn't know I was that attractive to look at." They spluttered and almost choked at their own meals.

Out of the blue, the doors swung open and revealed a blond male and a brown-haired woman around their late teens. Daemon's mood got better when his eyes landed on the lady. "Elena!" He went over and hugged his lover. Said lover embraced him back and the two entered lovey-dovey mode. The rest of the group almost puked.

Giotto greeted his fellow blond. "Yo, Dino." Dino grinned at him and ruffled his hair, which caused an even bigger mess. The older blond felt a gaze lingering on his back and when he turned around, he was left in astonishment. "Y-You, you're—"

Tsuna watched the duo. They made him feel nostalgic. _Nostalgic? I've never felt nostalgic before._ Then the other blond beside his hit gaped at him. He was a bit miffed. Did he have dirt on his face? Was he ugly for that guy? That expression really troubled him. "What?"

In his surprise, Dino shouted in… delight? "Tsuna!" _Excuse me? _The lady with him was now gaping at him, too. _Great. _"Do I know you?" The 'Dino' guy appeared to be advanced to the brunet. "You don't know me?"

"Am I supposed to?" The brown-haired lady burst into tears and scurried out of the dining room. Dino followed after her. "_Imouto_, wait up!" Tsuna blinked obliviously. "Did I say something wrong?" Giotto patted his head as if to assure him. "None at all."

"Then why did the lady dashed away with water running down her face?" They glanced at him incredulously. Asari frowned. _Don't tell me he doesn't—_

"She was _**crying**_. I presume your name is Tsuna?" The guy in the Japanese hat said. The assassin nodded. _I can't believe someone recognized me. How did they know my name? But before that_…

"Cry is the physical manifestation of sadness, right?" The male in priest clothes came up to the brunet. "You don't know what it looks like to cry?" Tsuna shook his head. "This is my first time seeing someone cry, sir." _At least, as far as I can remember._

Giotto placed a hand on his shoulder. "If they knew your name, who are you to them?" He stopped eating. _If they know me, they must be aware of my past. They can probably aid me with this predicament. _

Unexpectedly, he felt a hot breath on his ear and a low whisper. "You will never escape, because you only belong to me." He ignored it.

Tsuna's eyes bore into the blond's orbs. The brunet's ignorance and innocence about his origin was his own downfall.

"Who am I? I don't even know myself…"

_**Innocence can be seen not only in the purest light, but also in the bleakest darkness**_.

* * *

><p>Yume and Arietta are NOT, I repeat, are NOT OCs.<p>

Remember who Mochida was shouting at in Chapter 2? It was Hana.

A failed chapter, I know. This was just a transitional one. I'm bad at ending the main events.

Tell me if there are repetitive words and errors I missed so I can ask beta-nee to fix them~!

Okay, the education system for this story will be like this:

**Kiddies: Toddler class - Preparatory (3-6)**

**Elementary: Grade 1 - 6 (7-12)**

**Middle school: Freshman - Senior (13-15)**

**High school: 1st - 4th year (16-19)**

**College: 20 and above.**

That's why Mochida said Tsuna was from class 2-A.

Few of the lines in the preview show whose gonna appear next, lalala~!

**Preview:**

"Don't you have a heart? Somewhere deep down inside of you?"

"A heart… you mean the organ made up of muscles?"

"I bet you're like those fucking hypocrites, judging me with those damn stares."

"Why would I even bother to do so?"

"Giotto, that child is already corrupted by Byakuran."

"As long as there is another tomorrow, I believe we can still help him recover."

"Hana, are you okay? Should I get Haru-_chan_ to—"

"I'm fine, Kyoko. Just get this bastard some medical treatment."

"Say, you look a lot like Mami."

"How did you know my sister's name?"


	4. 4: The side of them that never was

Whew, glad I made the readers satisfied! :D

To BeArOcKpRiNxEsS-san's question: I meant that I only altered their names a bit. Try and guess, it's pretty easy to figure out.

Thank you, Lying Pierrot-san! I'm really happy it was satisfactory. TT U TT

Also thanks again to everyone who read/reviewed and my beta xXxAnGeLFLoNnExXx. Even though beta-nee can be a bit of a lazy-ass, haha. :D

VERY IMPORTANT: Can someone give me a new summary for this story? Beta-nee said it's a bit misleading.

Haha, Chapter 4 is out!

"Speech."

"_Japanese/Device speech_."

_'Telepathy.'_

"_**Highlights**_."

"_Flashback_."

_Thoughts._

* * *

><p><strong>Black Resolution<strong>

**Target 4: The side of them that never was**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Foreign feelings.<strong>_

The brunet observed his surroundings with uncaring eyes. Why did they brought him here? What did they want? Many thoughts joggled up his mind and he ended up having a headache to suffer for the rest of the day. _Not that this day's been good._ He reminded himself grimfully.

He stood up and walked around, trying to find something he can do to pass the time. This place is boring. At that moment, the door swung open and the 'Dino' guy and crying lady from before entered.

The lady ran up to the assassin and hugged him with all her might. She whispered his name to his ear like a mantra and he could not help but push her back a little. "Who are you and why did you touch me?"

She sniffled a bit before regaining her composure. Elena only had one concern in mind: to help the assassin recover. _I must stay strong for him and for the others._ "I'm sorry, it was my fault for just barging in like that." _And for crying and dashing off on a short notice._ She wiped the tears on her face. "My name is Annabelle Eliana de la Stella, or Elena for short." The blond guy approached them. "And I'm Daniele Cavallone de la Stella, you can call me Dino. We're your older siblings, Tsuna."

"I don't understand, what do you mean by that?" He asked them with a cold voice. _There's no way someone would be blood-related to me. They all died. _An image of a couple dying, falling helplessly to the ground entered his mind. He stiffened at that.

Elena took a step forward. "You are our missing younger brother. Our parents were Ieshige Mitsukuni de la Stella and Natalia Nadeshiko Sawada. Do you not remember?" He shook his head. "What are you implying then?" _Were? So does that mean they're dead?_

"We're your family." Tsuna's form went rigid. "You're lying. I never had a family in the first place." Dino frowned. "What do you mean by that?" The brunet gave him a deadpanned stare. "My family's been long dead. I'm an orphan." _Why did I give them my personal information?_

"That's not true! Everyone is still alive, except for our parents." Elena's voice almost trembled when she said the last part. The assassin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? How can you prove your claims? For all I know, you might be just trying to let me lower my guard and strike when that time comes." The other two's happy expression fell. He inwardly smirked. _It's ironic that I'm placing the blame of Primofiore's plan to them and they feel guilty about it. _The assassin almost snorted at the idea. _Typical human nature._

"I got it!" Dino exclaimed, "The Millefiore was actually a merger between the Gesso, Cervello, and the Giglionero Famiglia, right?" Tsuna was puzzled. What's so special about that? "And so? What's your point?" The blond bronco grinned at him. "You ruled over the Grey spell of that Family, which is the Cervello's division. The Cervello Famiglia was named after you: Tsunayoshi Cervello de la Stella."

The brunet's eyes darkened. _How did they get their hands on those facts? It seems that there is more than what meets the eye for these two. I better watch out for them from now on._ "It could be a coincidence, and you got my surname wrong. Doofus."

"How can I get your surname wron—" Something rang in Dino's pocket. The blond took out a strange device. He sent them a sheepish smile. "Excuse me for a second." The man went to a corner and hushed his caller. "Hello? May I ask who's on the other line?"

_"This is Romario, Master Dino. We've detected… uninvited guests from the forest clearing near the safehouse grounds. I ask you for our next course of action."_ Said boss bit his lip in his nervousness. "I see. Okay then, first you have to—"

As Dino talked over the strange… thing, Tsuna could not help but ask his brown-haired so-called sister. "So… what is he talking to?" Elena rubbed the back of her head unceremoniously. "Um, that's a communication device. Our top inventor, Talbot, created it. Though I have to admit, it's far too advanced for our era." _With the discovery of the dying will Flames and the Clear pacifier, I guess anything is possible._ She smiled sardonically.

The blond went towards them. "Elena, there's an emergency so we have to leave." Elena looked baffled. "So soon already? We haven't even stayed here for an entire day!" Dino leaned in beside her ear. "You do remember what we came here for. And unfortunately, it's not Tsuna." She sighed and faced her beloved younger brother. The lady ruffled his hair.

"I deeply apologize again, but it seems we're needed back at home. Don't worry, we'll return and bring you to our humble abode next time." The duo walked out of the room, rushing on their way.

All that the adorable assassin could do was stare at the entrance and utter the most logical thing he could think of. "Eh?" _What was that all about? Weird._ The boy sighed and fingered something on his neck. Tsuna pulled it out and stared at the ring with an orange gem and dragon markings.

He observed the room once more. _Wasn't there anything to do here?_ With that thought, Tsuna went outside; in search of anything at all.

It was merely his pure luck he ran into something worthwhile.

* * *

><p>Bored was an understatement.<p>

Giotto had nothing to do. He already finished the paperwork, and his guardians were either too busy to bother with him or went to escort the CEDEF's guardians.

At the mention of those guardians, he grumbled and felt a wave of nausea hitting him. His own guardians were destructive enough, thank you very much. There was no need for them to add to his list of problems. _But they aren't exactly cooperative._ He can't blame the CEDEF guardians, though. After all, "They're related to my own friends, ugh." And that was the bad side of it. The blond can already see the number of zeroes in the bills. He pinched his temple. _Can someone save me from my misery?_

His thoughts about his friends and their relatives drifted to the boy he took in, the assassin from the Spada massacre that happened a few days ago. The young boss unconsciously brought a blood red rose to his face; which was placed in a vase as a decoration for his mahogany desk.

To be honest, Giotto himself had no idea why he brought the brunet with him. All he did was obey his previous tutor's first and foremost lesson to him; always trust and follow his intuition. Deep down, taking the poor boy away from that place was the proper thing to do. It simply felt _right_.

Vongola Primo asked Alaude to get information about the said boy, only to find none. He finally knew the other's name when Dino shouted it. Tsuna, eh? _What a nice name._ He blinked and mentally smacked himself in the face. _Why am I having these thoughts?_ He shook his head fervently, hoping to get rid of his… rather troubling ideas.

Giotto grimaced. "Maybe the stuffiness of the room's just getting to my head… I need a walk."

When the young boss left his room, he heard shouts coming from the end of the hallway.

What was it this time?

The blond saw Lampo helping a maid stand up. He blinked. He rubbed his eyes. _My eyes must be deceiving me. _But the more he watched them, the more it seemed that his guardian was angry at the assassin about something. To top it all off, Lampo was angry at the other _for _the maid. His intuition told him to wait for a while before he enter the scene.

* * *

><p>Lampo was a big scaredy-cat; always had, always will be. Yet sometimes, the aristocrat did have his brave, totally out of character moments; such as now.<p>

The teen whom Giotto brought to their mansion, crashed to a maid from atop the staircase without a care in the world. He merely stared at the said woman as if he never did what he had done. And the young Lightning guardian was fond of the maid who was nursing her sprained ankle, her fall from the stairs forgotten. She was one of the few who were actually _nice_ to him.

Meanwhile, said culprit watched the two as the male fussed about the girl. His eyebrows were scrunched up together, as if he found something he didn't understand; which was probably true. He did not know why the green-haired teen was glaring at him while worrying over the female who sent him an uneasy glance. What was wrong with these people? It wasn't his fault that he bumped into her. He didn't do it on purpose… so why? Why was the male seething at him? Why was the lady wary of him? Those thoughts made him even more bothered.

Lampo had enough. His patience was already thin from the start, and the cold look on the brunet did not help ease him. The aristocrat actually expected an apology to the maid, originally thinking that he was just a bit shocked by the turn of events. But no, he was standing there. _Doing nothing at all_. He yelled at the assassin. "Hey, you!" The brunet gazed directly at his eyes, like he was peering into his soul.

"Yes?" His tone was oddly cool and collected, and it just pissed the guardian even more. He pointed his finger towards the other. "Aren't you going to apologize to her? She fell because you ran into her!"

Tsuna tilted his head to the side, eyes clearly showing he didn't get his point. "I never intented to do so. Besides, it's her fault for not being able to stand up with a minor injury." Who could blame the brunet for thinking such things? In the mafia, children were brought up to believe that their uselessness and incompetence will always be their mistake; like fainting from excessive bleeding, etc. The assassin wasn't any different.

Lampo had a stupefied expression plastered on his face. "W-Wha—?" He trembled. This kid was probably one of the most merciless people he met. Though he was lazy, he still cared about people. Sometimes. And that bastard Reborn, no matter how good he was at hiding it; he was always concerned about his students, Dino and Giotto. Heck, even Daemon and Alaude were kind inside! "Don't you have a heart? Somewhere deep down inside of you?"

"A heart… you mean the organ made up of muscles?" Of course, he has one. If he didn't, he would've been long dead! What was this guy even thinking? The guardian frowned. "I meant a spiritual, emotional heart." Tsuna's mind went blank for a second. For the first time in his life, he was confused and lost. He has no idea what the other was talking about. Spiritual? Emotional? There are no such things. Or so his boss, Primofiore, said.

"Then I'm afraid I don't have one."

Green eyes widened at the fact. "That's not true, not true at all!" Giotto and everyone else told him that it's something that's buried deep down in each person; some openly showed, some hidden and guarded. Yet this man, no— this _young boy_, told him he doesn't have one. _I wonder what he went through to consider he doesn't have one. He looks as old as me!_ He pouted. _All this thinking made me a bit dizzy._

"Having a heart is just like having a soul; each one of us has one and can't live without it." The maid behind him was smiling proudly, despite the pain she was currently experiencing. Tsuna had a scary empty look. "Why do you people say those words so easily? I can't comprehend you." He descended down the flight of stairs, each step matching Lampo's own fast heartbeat.

"You all speak carelessly. How can you believe in things you can't even explain? Can you see it? Will you be able to touch it? If it is really there then you could've at least sensed it." He closed his eyes. The other's fists clenched. "I—"

The assassin shrugged and walked away, but not before whispering to himself; directed to the two. "Look at you now, doubting your own faith. People with weak resolve won't last long in this twisted world." A dark smile made its way to his face. He murmured to himself, "Naive, too similar to Yume-_chan_."

He was right; human nature is what lead that guy to hesitate.

Even after convincing himself and deeming his defense reasonable, he can't help but feel a churning, tightening feeling from the pit of his stomach. As if what he did felt so, so _wrong_.

_**Confusion and ignorance is not an excuse; it only means you have to discover your mistake on your own.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Denial.<strong>_

Tsuna clenched his fists as he recalled the hateful words he said. He was irritated for saying that, knowing it was a lie. Simply lies. _Why do I even force myself to believe that crap anyway?_

He closed his eyes in thought. It was a long time since he felt this way. Back when he was still innocent. Back when he was still ignorant of the dark side of the world. _So why now? Why not before?_

Before he knew it, he bumped into some guy with silver hair. Tsuna was about to walk away and ignore him when said person suddenly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back harshly. The assassin slightly winced at the contact as he glared at the silveret. _What's his problem?_

His glare eventually turned into a stare, evaluating the teenager before him. _He looks around my age. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before, how odd._ The guy sneered at him. "Fucking watch where you're going!"

The boy let his sharp tongue do all the work. "I did watch. You were just in the fucking way." The other gritted his teeth and snarled. "Che, bitch!" He paused and observed the brunet. "I bet you're like those fucking hypocrites, judging me with damn stares."

"Why would I even bother to do so?" He raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about, nor do I care. I just don't like you doing all that." Tsuna still had a blank look on his face yet he narrowed his eyes at him, which turned orange. The silveret gaped at him. "I have pride, too. And I don't appreciate being pushed around." He left said person gawking in the hallway.

The assassin stomped back to his room, a bit irritable and in doubt of his actions and words. The brunet had his arms crossed and a cute pout was evident on his face. _That guy was so infuriating! Who does he think he is?_ The assassin suddenly froze midway through the corridor. Did he just act like some upset teenage girl?

The mere thought of it made him twitch. "What am I supposed to do with these… ugh. This is just frustrating." He blinked. Oh great. Now, he's on the edge. "I hate this crap." He just wouldn't admit it. No, no, no.

There's just no way he would ever have emotions. Not after what he'd been through.

* * *

><p>Giotto patted Lampo as he entered the scene, his eyes never leaving the sight of the assassin's back. Something about the boy seemed very off. "That was really nice of you, Lampo. Though I have to ask, how did you even get into a fight without being cowardly?"<p>

His Lightning guardian had a look of disbelief. "Oh, c'mon Primo. I can be brave, you know." His boss raised an eyebrow. "Okay, okay. Maybe sometimes." He scratched his head as he reverted back into the haughty noble that he was. "You have to admit, I was pretty awesome there." The blond sighed. No matter what happens, Lampo will still be Lampo.

"I'll go talk to him. You can accompany Miss Aoi here to the infirmary and have Knuckles heal her." The green-haired aristocrat nodded and assisted the maid. When he was sure they were out of earshot, he sighed once more. "I know you're there. The two are gone now."

Vongola Primo suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and was met with the sight of Daemon. "Is there something wrong?" The Mist shook his head and had an out-of-character expression on his face. "What do you plan to do?"

"Huh? I don't understand."

"Giotto, that child is already corrupted by Byakuran." He pursed his lips and stared wide-eyed at the guardian. He only calls him by his name when he's really serious. "He is far beyond our help." The blond wholeheartedly disagreed with him. "As long as there is another tomorrow, I believe we can still help him recover."

"Don't say I didn't warn you. You're way too attached to him, for he was exactly like you; years ago." Giotto resisted the urge to chuckle. Him? Attach to someone he barely knew? Sure, he would feel pity for the assassin and would help him rebuild his mental state. Though, it's impossible for him to feel that way immediately like what the other claimed. Unless…

When Daemon walked past him, he grimaced. "Why are you telling me this? Is it because of what you told me, about your sister being on the enemy's side?" He didn't say a thing and continued leaving. He faced his Mist guardian's back.

"That's where you're wrong, Daemon. That boy's soul can still be saved, and so is Nagisa's."

That's right. He'll help the boy because someone like him has so many things he can do in life. He doesn't need to see the dark, ugly side of the world. He'll cure him because it's the right thing to do.

_And it's definitely not because I'm becoming fond of him or anything._

* * *

><p>"What happened to you?" Exclaimed an orange-haired girl to her injured friend and her upperclassman as she ushered them inside. She sighed as the previous events replayed in her mind. It was only moments before when the butler told her that her friend was outside while supporting a wounded male.<p>

"It's a long story, Kyoko. I'll just tell you later." The black-haired girl staggered slightly. "Seriously, those guards of yours are troublesome. Can't they even recognize me?"

The girl giggled a bit. "Well, you can't blame them for being paranoid. After all, the pacifiers are here and I'm a sibling to two very powerful mafia bosses and a friend to the founder of the strongest Famiglia." The informant rolled her eyes. "Whatever…" And then she had a coughing fit.

For once, Kyoko had a frown on her face. "Hana, are you okay? Should I get Haru-_chan_ to—" Her best friend gave her a deadpanned stare that says 'do-I-look-like-I'm-okay-to-you?'. She shut her mouth in an instant.

Hana sighed. "I'm fine, Kyoko. Just get this bastard some medical treatment." The auburnette brought out a ring from her pocket. It had a shimmering yellow gem on it. "I'll tend to your minor injuries first. Don't worry, I already told Olgert to call in the medics."

Kyoko could not help but notice the glint in her friend's eyes. Oh, she knows that gleam. That was the exact shine in her eyes when her twin went missing ten years ago. She smiled, "Don't tell me… you're actually worried about Mochida-_san_? And here I thought you hated his guts."

The informant spluttered. "That's not it, Kyoko! Besides, you already know whom I like." The orange-haired female had a knowing smile. Despite the fact that Hana despised their upperclassman so much, she's still grateful towards him. The auburnette vaguely recalled the words of her older twin. He really was right all along.

_A boy was running around the garden, searching for his sister. "Kyoko! Kyoko, where are you?" He was about to leave the area when he heard faint sniffles. The boy ran to the source of the sound._

_"_N-Nii-chan_?" She hiccuped a lot as she stared at the letter on her hands. Her brother hugged her, rubbing circles on her back. "It's okay, Kyoko-_chan_. There's no need to cry." Hearing her brother's gentle voice, she buried her face onto his chest and bawled._

_"_N-Nii-chan_, I… she… I just trusted her so much, and she backstabbed me. I wished I never met her!" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Now why would you say that?" Kyoko rubbed her eyes. _

_"I really cared for her." Her brother sighed in exasperation, but there was a scary glint in his eyes. "_Maa_, Kyoko. I know that your best friend betrayed you but I'm sure you can find someone else." He paused. "If it weren't for her, you wouldn't be able to experience going out on walks besides your family."_

_"I—"_

_"You wouldn't be able to taste those cakes you're dying to get your hands on." He smiled and ruffled Kyoko's hair. "You wouldn't be able to fend off those aggressive fanboys. You wouldn't be as happy as you were with other people."_

_"I—"_

_"Admit it, mia carino sorella; you enjoyed every single moment you shared with that girl. Even though she wronged you, I'm sure you'll be able to find it in your heart to forgive her." The orange-haired girl stared wide-__eyed at him. _My brother is so kind and forgiving.

_"Never regret anything that once made you happy, ne?"_

"_Nii-chan_…" She murmured. Kyoko redirected her stare towards Hana. _She really doesn't regret meeting our upperclassman and now she's even repaying him._ "Right. You aren't worried, you're restless." Her best friend almost choked on her own spit. "I swear Kyoko, you've been hanging out with those Vongola guys too much."

The auburnette laughed at her friend's antics. "Now, now. Just admit it, Hana-_chan_. You're very appreciative of his help, correct? Especially when he was discharged from the hospital."

The black-haired informant sighed. "Whatever. At least Hira's out of the hospital now."

* * *

><p>A black-haired Asian teenager laughed as he saw the jaw-dropped expression of his silveret companion. "Hahaha, he got you good; ne, Ha-ya-to~?" The silver-haired teen spluttered, face red in anger and embarrassment. "Shut up, you baseball-freak! And don't call me that!"<p>

"I'll only stop if you address me by my name."

"Grr… fuck off, base— Yamamoto." Yamamoto grinned. "See, it wasn't so hard now was it?" The other growled at him. "Don't treat me like a little kid, you idiot!" And the athlete muttered something about his boyfriend giving him a cold shoulder.

"So Gokudera, what was all the commotion about anyway?" The baseball-freak asked. Gokudera muttered some curses to himself. "Oh, him? I just bumped into the guy. The nerve of him!"

Yamamoto's grin slightly faltered. "_Maa, maa_. It looked like he doesn't have any intention to hurt you." _But if the argument continued, I'm pretty sure he would've already beated you. He didn't seem to be someone who'll take insults lightly._ "Just let your anger go, m'kay?"

"OI, YAMAMOTO, OCTOPUS-HEAD! THE PRIMO TOLD US TO EXTREMELY GO TO HIM!" A white-haired male yelled as he ran towards them. The bomber's grimace got worse. "Che, fucking lawn-head." This elicited a tick mark on the other's forehead.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, OCTOPUS-HEAD?" Gokudera shouted back at him. "I SAID, FUCKING LAWN-HEAD! IS YOUR BRAIN TOO SMALL TO REGISTER THAT IN YOUR HEAD?" He brought out dynamites from his pockets. "YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!"

Lawn-head gritted his teeth. "TAKE THAT BACK!" He aimed a punch for the other, but Yamamoto went in-between them. "Come on, guys. We should probably head to the meeting room. I bet that's where Asari, Giotto-_san_, and the others are waiting for us!"

Even after all the shouting, the glare that the brunet sent the silveret was still etched in his mind. _His eyes were exactly like the Primo's. And haven't I met him before?_ "Fuck this. I'll ask about him later." _I'm just curious about him, that's all._

He won't accept the fact that the other's blank orange orbs scared the wits out of him.

_**You can lie to everyone but yourself.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Silent.<strong>_

"Giotto del Vongola, they are here." Alaude may act indifferently, but it was far from what he's currently feeling. He was pissed off; and if it weren't for his pride, he would have long left them. Those fruit-heads and the annoying carnivore wannabe… the Cloud guardian would rather jump off a cliff and die than show weakness in front of them.

The blond boss sighed as he felt the waves of killer intent and irritation from the French skylark. _Alaude sure is angry today. I wonder what happened._ "Everyone, please take a seat."

His guardians and guests complied. Seated in the head chair was Primo. On his right was G, and the other side was Asari. From G, it was Yamamoto, Ryohei, Daemon, two chairs, and a black-haired Alaude look-alike. In front of them was Gokudera, Knuckles, Lampo, Lampo's clone who wore a cow-printed shirt, a red-haired guy, then Alaude. At the other end of the table was also an empty chair.

Vongola Primo blinked. "Where's Dino and Elena?" At that moment, the sibling duo barged in the room. The Cavallone boss rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that, Giotto. We kinda had uh… an emergency back at the safehouse, but it was just a false alarm." Dino took the seat beside Alaude's mini and Elena sat between Daemon and Dino.

"That's good to know." Elena nodded in agreement. G crossed his arms. "What's the meeting about?" The blond entered his 'boss mode'. "Wait a minute. I already told a maid to fetch the boy we took in yesterday." His right-hand man grunted.

Moments later, the door opened to reveal a brown-haired maid and Tsuna. Giotto smiled at the servant. "You may take your leave now." She nodded and left. Vongola Primo gestured for the brunet to take the empty seat parallel to his. Said assassin didn't speak a single word. He complied to the other's request, though.

Tsuna felt the heated glare of the silveret from before. He ignored the other. _As if I'll be affected. Hell, I've seen puppies glare scarier than that._ His mouth twitched, indicating that he wanted to say it out loud. Instead, he prompt to ask the guy who beated him. "What am I supposed to do here?" The entire room temperature dropped to below zero degrees. His voice induced shivers from Lampo and his twin partner.

Giotto cleared his throat. _This boy is intimidating._ "We are here to talk about you." The assassin rose an eyebrow. "And what of it?" He crossed his arms, his brown eyes staring into orange ones; daring the other to speak.

"Oi, speak to Primo with respect!" G bellowed, slamming his hands on the table. He was quickly reprimanded by his boss. "Storm." The guardian immediately clamped his mouth shut. He turned to face the brunet.

"Since you'll be staying with us, we have to know you." Tsuna simply stared at him. "What do you really want with me?" The blond boss frowned slightly. "We want to help you." The boy gazed at him, his face portraying no emotion. "Help? Why would I need help?"

"We want to help you cure your mental state." _Mental state? Is he telling me that I'm sick in the head?_ "And why?"

"You don't plan on making this any easier for us, do you."

He smirked. "Of course. We're enemies, after all." The rest of them tensed up. Gokudera glowered at him. _What did he mean by 'enemies'?_ Yamamoto had a serious expression on, his eyes roaming around the intruder; evaluating him. _He's really straightforward about this._

Dino suddenly stood up. "We're not enemies! You should know that better than anyone else, Tsuna!" Elena frowned. "That's right. You can trust us." Tsuna shook his head. "Not to be rude or anything, but don't make me repeat myself. I don't know you."

"How can you not know us? We're your siblings for fuck's sake! Can't you even recognize our faces?" The brunet held an impassive mask facade on. "This conversation is pointless. So if you'll excuse me…" He quietly left his spot and made a dash for the door. _There's no way I would ever tell you anything._

Giotto slumped back in his chair and groaned. He directed his attention to the red-haired man beside Alaude. "This is gonna be harder than I thought, Cozart…" Cozart gave him a pitying look. "Don't worry, I'll look for the little guy and make sure he's alright." The red head followed their target.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Mukuro-<em>sama<em>! Please don't force yourself!" Chrome reprimanded the male illusionist. He sighed and rubbed his forehead for the upcoming headache. She furrowed her eyebrows when she saw the troubled face he made. "Just stop moving. Your wounds would open up."

He sighed in exasperation once more. "This is not a measly matter. There's something important I have to do." She crossed her arms. "And you can do it after you've recovered. Tell me, what is the problem?"

Mukuro kept his mouth shut and shook his head gently. _You'll only worry more if you knew._

"Please, Mukuro-_sama_. You can tell me— us, anything. Do you not trust us?"

"It is nothing, my dear Chrome." He still managed to put on that typical smirk but it seemed rather… forced that time. His surrogate sister whacked him and set him down gently on the couch. He rubbed the newly-formed bruise on his head. "K-Kufufufu. T-That was one mean hit, little Chrome."

The purple-haired girl pursed her lips and set her hands on her hips. "Just please. I promise not to tell anyone else." Yet the male did not budge. She closed her eyes solemnly and walked towards the door. "I'll let you have your time to cool off, Mukuro-_sama_. I'll be waiting for the time you think that I am strong enough to handle things."

Behind the closed door, she hugged herself and cried silent tears. _What are you hiding, Mukuro-_sama_? I have a bad feeling about this._ She instantly got up from her fetal position and took out her trident. _Until you decide that I'm worthy enough to know, I'll wait patiently._ She tapped her weapon on the ground and disappeared in the mist.

He felt a shiver run down his spine at the not-so-empty threat. _It's not that I don't trust any of you or deem you __unworthy. If I inform you about it, I'm sure you and the others would bust in Vongola grounds without hesitation._ He let his drowsiness take over him.

_Besides, he wouldn't like it if you would worry about him instead of doing something productive. _Mukuro gave a last chuckle before falling asleep.

* * *

><p>"Hey, wait a minute!"<p>

The brunet kept on walking, completely ignoring the calls of some random guy. It's not like they'll come after him. He's a monster, and no one would dare give him warmth. _I wonder what everything would be if they met me earlier. Maybe things could've been different?_

He slowed down unconsciously, another vision resurfacing in his mind. _Why do these images keep on popping out? Is it trying to tell me something from my past? If so, why am I regaining them when I've accepted the fact that I lost them for good?_

_A red-haired girl appeared into his view. She was running towards a boy, her violet orbs blinking prettily. Like him, the girl wore a white, tattered robe and had bandages on her body. She stared at the younger Tsuna with awe and fascination. "It was not painful… much. Yeah, wasn't painful at all. H-Hi, I'm—"_

_"Name, Marianna Mirella Shimon. Called Mami by family and peers. Half-sister of the Shimon Famiglia Primo. Flames are Earth from father's side and Storm from mother's side. Experiment for studying the vibrations emitted by the Dying Will Flames. Sold to the Estraneo by cruel step-mother." He paused and stared at her. "You shouldn't lie to youself. You know it hurts so it's okay to let it all out."_

_The girl named Mami had tears welling up her eyes. "I-I… waah!" She clung to the boy's robe and cried. After weeping her entire heart, she wiped the tears on her face with her sleeve and silently watched her companion. From what she heard, the scientists called him experiment '27'. What should she call the boy? It wouldn't hurt to try… "2-27?"_

_Tsuna's eyes darkened at the name. Mami shivered a bit with fear evident on her being. He sighed and ruffled the girl's name. She sort of reminded him about his little brother. "Tsuna."_

_"Huh?" Was the only intellectual answer she could say._

_"My name. It's Tsuna." She stared at him in curiosity. "What's your full name, Tsu?" The brunet had his full attention to her because of what she said. "O-Oh, I'm so sorry for giving you a pet name…" He cracked a small smile. "It's okay."_

_"Really?"_

_"I won't mind… Mami."_

_Since when did I have a younger brother?_ He was snapped out from the stupor when the red-haired guy from the conference waved his hand in front of his face. "Hey, kid. You okay? You just spaced out back there." Tsuna blinked. "I'm fine."

The assassin stopped in his tracks when he paid attention to the other. Now that he got a closer look, he seems just like…

"Say, you look a lot like Mami." _The same girl from the vision,_ he mentally added. Cozart had a shocked expression. "How did you know my sister's name?" The brunet shrugged.

"I just met her when I was 7." Before the guy could even open his mouth, Tsuna pivoted his heels and ran at full speed. Cozart yelled, "Wait!" He was about to follow him when he took a left turn in the hallways—

—But the brunet was already gone.

_**Those who quietly watched in the shadows kept the darkest secrets.**_

* * *

><p>As soon as he got back to his room, he shut the door tightly and made sure it was locked. He brought out a worn cloth which seemed to be wrapped around something. When he took it off, he was greeted by the sight of a flower.<p>

Tsuna stared at the wilted flower on his hand. It was given to him by an old friend, who he knew he would never meet again. For some reason, he couldn't remember the other's face clearly. It's not like it matters. Especially when his smile was as pure as light. There is no need for others to be caught up in the sickening darkness.

He falls into a deep slumber and watches a dream play before him. A dream that may have been a lost memory. _Hm? A boy?_ He squints his eyes and saw that it was himself, albeit younger.

_"Tenth, look what I've got!" A young faceless boy beamed widely at a younger Tsuna. The brunet smiled kindly at him and the woman behind him._ Even though her face was blurred, the assassin could tell that she was beautiful. _"Oh, what is that?"_

_"It's called a Nightblossom. It represents memories, darkness, and secrets." Younger Tsuna nodded in understanding. He was enraptured by the beauty of the flower; its dark purple and black petals shimmered under the moonlight._ He had a wry gleam in his dull eyes. It was the perfect flower for someone who has fallen, someone corrupt; someone like him. _How ironic._

_"As the name suggest, its beauty can be seen at night; and the petals curl itself in the morning. It's very rare, you know? The flower only blooms once every hundred years." The lady said. The brunet grinned at her. "Oh I see, Aunt…!"_ Somehow, the female's name was left out. Tsuna could see his kid-self's lips move and form a word, yet he could not recognize what he mouthed.

He closed his eyes as he tried to remember the woman's name. _If I can find out what that woman's name was, then maybe I can discover something about my past._ But no matter how hard he tried, he could not recall the faceless lady's name.

_"Why are you giving this to me, …-_kun_?" His younger version asked. Only the mouth of the other boy was visible. Said boy grinned. "Well, me and mom hope that you'd get your memories back!" Younger Tsuna tilted his head. "Huh?"_

_"There's a myth that when you hold a Nightblossom under the night of a full moon, you can get your wishes granted. But you can only have one wish; because if you ask for more, you'll lose what you wanted for both times or even more." He hugged the younger brunet. "We gave you one so you could wish for your memories back."_

_Wish? It would be nice if that'll ever come true. _Tsuna had a deadpanned expression on his face, watching the trio silently. In this world, there was no such things as wishes. No matter how hard your faith and resolve is, you'll crumble away eventually.

_"Thank you, …-_kun_, Aunt…" His kid-self cried. "With you guys here, I wouldn't dream for anything else in the world." He was hugged by the woman. "We'll always be here for you, Tsuna."_

The assassin woke up with a start, he blinked and saw that he was just in his room. _What was that dream all about?_ His eyes shone with a faint light before dulling out. He recited the song that was drilled into his mind a long, long time ago.

"Closing your eyes to disappear,

You pray your dreams will leave you here.

But still you wake and know the truth,

No one's there."

He didn't notice the silent tears that were running down his face. That's right; the world is cruel and corrupt. You can only trust yourself. A dark smile crept up his face as the light in his eyes faded in the shadows.

_Everyone is truly and utterly alone in this forsaken place._

_**The reason why we exist is to overcome the unfair reality; nothing more, nothing less.**_

* * *

><p>Okay, uh… the 'Nightblossom' flower is something I made up. And if a flower like that does exist, well… yay me?<p>

Haha, can anyone guess what song the lyrics came from? My beta actually made me listen to it, and I fell in love with both the song and the artist(s)! The artist(s) also has another song that oddly fits this story.

In the preview, it may seem like I'm an atheist author but no! I'm 100% Catholic! I have nothing against the almighty Father whatsoever and only included that because the others needed to persuade Tsuna to change his view of the world.

**Preview:**

"Tell me. Where is my sweet, precious Mami?"

"I have no idea. What she's doing in her life is none of my business."

"God handed us challenges in life to test our faith."

"Why does He need to do so? Does He not trust His own creations enough?"

"Y-You saved my life. I'm forever in debt to you."

"I could care less about your life. I just didn't want blood on the carpet."

"Sho-_chan_, how's Cielo's progress in the mission?"

"He seems to be doing fine— oh, he already sent us info about the target."


End file.
